The Blue Cross veterinary charity plans to spend £32m over the next five years as part of a plan to double the number of animals it supports by 2021, according to its recently published annual accounts.
Currently 40,000 homeless or sick animals are helped by the Blue Cross each year, and the charity aims to raise this to 80,000. It carried out a strategic review in 2012 of where improvements could be made, and now plans to refurbish some of its current rehoming centres and replace others.
The charity, which had an annual income of £29.5m in the year to March 2014, aims to launch one-off fundraising appeals to raise the extra money to do this. If the appeals do not raise sufficient cash, the remainder will be met through reserves.
The charity currently has £63.8m in unrestricted funds on the balance sheet, of which around £18.2m is in land, buildings and other fixed assets.
Work is due to begin on building a new Suffolk site, which will double the charity’s capacity in the area, by the end of this year and refurbishment work is due to begin on its Bromsgrove centre soon. The charity has just launched a fundraising appeal for the £5m needed to complete both projects.
A spokesman said: “We are confident that with the help of local pet lovers we will be able to reach our fundraising target. In the eventuality that we don’t, we will re-allocate funds from our reserves.”
The Blue Cross is also looking for two new sites in the South East and plans to refurbish its Burford rehoming centre in 2015.
In 2013 the charity opened six new shops and generated £3.2m from its retail operation. It is on track to open its 50th by the end of this year.
A spokesman said: “Our aim is to use the expansion of shops to increase awareness of Blue Cross services to rehomers and clients and to reach new supporters and donors, as well as to generate additional income.”
The latest set of accounts cover the year to 31 December 2013, just before the charity’s chief executive, Kim Hamilton, resigned following media allegations of inappropriate relationships.
Zair Berry, chair at the Blue Cross, said in the introduction to the report: “The beginning of 2014 was a difficult time for the organisation with the resignation of our chief executive.
“The board has conducted enquiries into the press allegation which led to this unhappy event has taken extensive legal advice in consultation with the Charity Commission. I want to reassure you that we are listening, learning and taking a thorough look at all our processes.”
In 2013 ten members of staff were paid more than £60,000, with one person earning up to £120,000. In January 2014 the charity became an accredited living wage employer.
Sally de la Bedoyere, the current chief executive of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association, has been appointed as its next chief executive and will join in November.
