A team of 15 staff from Mearns & Gill are lacing up their trainers and preparing to take on this year’s PIM Crathes Running Festival, all in support of Mrs Murray’s Cat and Dog Home and the charity’s major kennel redevelopment appeal.
Taking part in events ranging from the 1km and 5km races through to the half marathon, the agency’s team will spend the coming months training and fundraising for a cause that means a great deal to many of the people within the business.
As a company full of animal lovers, the team chose to support Mrs Murray’s this year as the charity launches “The Big Build” campaign, a £500,000 fundraising appeal to replace ageing kennels with modern facilities designed to better support rescue dogs arriving at the home every day.
The fundraising effort officially got underway this week with a visit to the agency from Mrs Murray’s chairman Alan Grant, members of the charity team, and one very special guest – Evie, a rescue dog currently being cared for by the charity.
The visit gave staff the opportunity to hear more about the new kennel project, the difference it will make to animals arriving at the home frightened, anxious or traumatised, and the scale of fundraising still needed to bring the development to life.
Some of the Mearns & Gill team who are taking part in this year’s running challenge, along with (at the front in orange t shirts), Stacey and Laura from Mrs Murray’s and Evie the dog, one of their residents.
Mike Wilson, Managing Director at Mearns & Gill, said: “There are a lot of animal lovers within our team, so this felt like a cause everybody connected with straight away.
“Hearing more about the reality of the work Mrs Murray’s does every single day, and the need for the new kennels, really brought home just how important this campaign is. Then of course Evie arrived and completely stole everybody’s hearts.
“We’ve got people and their families taking on everything from the 1km race to the half marathon, and while there’s definitely a mixture of excitement and nerves, it’s all for a brilliant cause. The training and fundraising officially starts now.”
Founded in 1889, Mrs Murray’s Cat and Dog Home cares for abandoned, stray and unwanted animals from across Aberdeen and the North East. Last year alone, the charity cared for more than 1,900 dogs and cats.
Alan Grant, Chairman of Mrs Murray’s Cat and Dog Home said: “Support like this genuinely means so much to us. The new kennels will completely transform the environment for dogs arriving at the home, helping reduce stress and giving them the safe, calm spaces they deserve while they wait for a new start.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everybody at Mearns & Gill for choosing to support us, and we’ll be cheering every single one of them on at Crathes.”
Anybody wishing to support the team’s fundraising efforts can donate via their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/mearns-gill-mrs-murrays-cats-dogs