On the 11th March Pen & Hannah headed north to the birth place of Robbie Williams to tell the 'tail' of how he met Nowzad the dog 10 years ago in a remote forward operating base in Helmand province, Afghanistan. And what a fabulous night of fundraising it was!
A massive thank you must be given to the owner and locals of Oak Hill Bowling club in Stoke who kindly donated the venue for free and watched as it was invaded by former Nowzad rescues; who it must be said; behaved so well!
Organised by the amazing Sue, with support from Ann, Jen, Donna and Susan it was a brilliant night for those unfamiliar with the marvellous animal welfare work of Nowzad to mingle with the dedicated Nowzad family that truly make the difference to our fundraising nights. With Nowzad merchandise and Afghan handicrafts on sale and a fabulous vegetarian spread to choose from everybody waited for Pen Farthing, Hannah & Elise to arrive from their day at Crufts at the Nowzad stand. We must say a big thank you is truly deserved for Steph (who volunteered for all four days!), Alan and Mike who gave up their time and own money to help promote Nowzad to as many people as possible who wandered passed the Nowzad stand in Hall One and it was great to see our new friend Victoria Stilwell pop by as well to donate over £100 from her 'selfie with Victoria' promotion she held on the Saturday whilst at Crufts.
Pen recounted the story of Nowzad, the cropped eared fighting dog that became the inspiration for the Nowzad charity that has now supported over 1000 soldiers to be reunited with their companion animals, describing the mission to rescue Nowzad from the most dangerous placed on Earth before an impromptu chili eating challenge was issued (don't ask - you had to be there) and the Nowzad raffle started. In all an amazing evening, emotional at times that raised a whopping £1410 THANK YOU to all the generous folks who attended.
Nowzad will continue to make a difference for animal welfare in Afghanistan - your support is always needed. Please consider donating today.