The Hull Hub Issue 22

Operation Seabird – protecting our marine birds and wildlife
The dramatic and rugged coastline of North
East Yorkshire has for decades been the
home to hundreds of thousands of nesting
birds, choosing the chalk cliffs at Flamborough
and Bempton as their summer breeding
destination.
On these 100 feet high sheer chalk cliffs,
fulmars, gannets, herring gulls, kittiwakes,
guillemots, razorbills and puffins lay eggs
and raise their young between March and
September, each year.
Flamborough and Bempton are rare and
precious places not only for birds but increasingly
we are seeing dolphins offshore as
well as growing seal populations and in partnership
with North Yorkshire Police, ERYC,
SBC, RSPB, RSPCA, the Flamborough Head
European Marine Site Management Scheme
and with the support of the Yorkshire Wildlife
Trust and RNLI, Humberside Police are
taking part in Operation Seabird. An operation
to raise awareness about the importance
of our coastline and reduce water-borne
disturbance to the sensitive wildlife between
Scarborough and Bridlington.
The award-winning Operation Seabird is
now in its third year and launches again Today,
Thursday 14 April 2022. Our local officers
will be on hand along the East Yorkshire
coastline to support the initiative.
Wildlife and Heritage Crime Officer Richard
Fussey said, “The Yorkshire coastline is a
fantastic landscape that’s an important feeding
and breeding ground for a variety of seabirds
and marine mammals.
“This valuable asset not only attracts visitors
to explore the beaches and cliffs, but also attracts
those wishing to explore the coastal
waters themselves.
“Unfortunately we have a number of reports
each year of members of the public on the
water, approaching too closely to the wildlife
that live the area including the nesting seabirds
and marine mammals.
“The disturbance of these important species
can impact on the success of their breeding
and also cause cetaceans* in particular, high
levels of stress, which could lead to future issues
such as stranding and injuries through
impact with water craft.
“The key focus of the operation is to ensure
that members of the public, who are using
the waters along the Yorkshire coast, do so
in a responsible way. We want to ensure
they keep their distance from the wildlife
to prevent intentional disturbance and to
safeguard this stretch of coastline, allowing
future generations to enjoy the spectacle we
see today.”
Victory Leisure Homes raises over £7,000 for its charity
of the year, Downright Special
Victory Leisure Homes, luxury holiday home
manufacturer, has raised over £7,000 for its
charity of the year, Downright Special – an organisation
close to the heart of one long serving
member of staff.
Downright Special supports children with
Down Syndrome in Hull and the East Riding,
assisting families and professionals in all aspects
of the care and education of children
with the condition. Its aim is to build a brighter
future for children with Down Syndrome, supporting
them to achieve their full potential and
promoting successful inclusion in all aspects of
life.
One of Victory’s team leaders, Chris Rooks, became
a dad to daughter Millie four years ago,
who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome before
she was born, and the family regularly use
the facilities at Downright Special.
Victory kicked the year off on a high with its
first official fundraising event in March. Taking
place just before Down Syndrome Awareness
Week, its sponsored five-aside football match
saw up to 10 other companies taking part with
Victory.
Shirin Kemp, director of marketing and PR at
Victory, said: “Giving back to the local community,
especially to one that’s close to the heart
of one of our team members, has always been
core to our values and ethos as a company. So,
the team at Victory are over the moon with the
amount raised this year for Downright Special!
“Staff particularly enjoyed getting involved in
the bake sales and raffles, with a range of prizes
up for grabs, including the ultimate Cadbury’s
Easter hamper and the latest-generation Apple
watch.”
Victory also successfully completed the Yorkshire
Three Peaks Challenge in just 10 hours
in July, as well as taking part in the Edinburgh
Marathon in May.
Charlie Carruthers, marketing assistant at Victory,
said: “The Yorkshire Three Peaks was incredibly
challenging - physically and mentally.
We faced all sorts of weather, but we finished
with a great time, and we’d do it all over again.
We’re incredibly proud to have supported
Downright Special this year - all funds raised
have gone to a fantastic cause.”
Gillian Bowlas, charity manager at Downright
Special, added: “The generosity from everyone
at Victory has been unbelievable, and we
can’t thank them enough for their continued
support. The money raised will go towards our
facilities, sessions we hold for the children and
their families, and ultimately this will help to
build a brighter future for children with Down
Syndrome.”
Business book generates cash boost for
animal charity
A book which has been hailed by
MP turned author Alan Johnson
as a fascinating social history and
an essential guide to business has
now raised more than £16,000
for a charity dedicated to animals.
“Half a Lettuce”, written by the
chair of Sewell Group Paul Sewell,
charts his life growing up in Hull
and his career journey to the top
of one of the region’s most successful
companies.
It’s unlikely to exercise the filmmakers
who specialise in family
favourite tear-jerkers, but they
could do worse than switch on
to another miracle of Christmas
from the stories of the remarkable
Hull Animal Welfare Trust.
Sue Sewell, Chair of the Trust,
said: “It was Christmas 1985 when
we found a dog abandoned with
her puppies on the streets of
Hull. There was absolutely nowhere
we could find a home for
her so we advertised and asked
around and a market gardener
said we could use the two sheds
at his smallholding.
“We came for a look. He was
glad of the company and he said
we could stay. Suddenly we had
enough room for six or seven
dogs but the facilities were very
basic with only one water standpipe,
which froze in winter, and a
hole in the ground which we dug
to dispose of the animal waste.
“When he died, he left everything
to the Trust. Owning our own
land gave us security and over
the years we have worked hard to
raise the money we needed to invest
in the site, building new accommodation
gradually and create
a facility where the animals
are warm, safe and have outdoor
areas for exercise and play.”
Paul – Sue’s husband – published
Half a Lettuce just after the nation
headed into a series of lockdowns
in 2020. He decided from the
outset that instead of charging a
set price for the book he would
invite donations to the charity
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co-founded by his wife in 1982 as
a club finding foster homes for
abandoned dogs and cats.
Plans to launch the book at a
joint event with Alan in Paul and
Sue’s home village of Cottingham
were abandoned because of the
pandemic but the endorsement
by the former MP, who has now
written six acclaimed books, ensured
a brisk start to sales.
Paul doubled the print run to
1,000 and admits to being blown
away by the book’s success.
He said: “I can’t say it flew off the
shelves because it wasn’t in any
shops, but the big stack of books
that was in my garage is now
much smaller. We’re down to
about the last hundred, which is a
very pleasant surprise given that
we couldn’t have a launch event.
“Alan described it as being two
books in one – a social history
of the area and a business book
– and the result is it’s been random,
curious people from all
over the world. Some are current
contacts and some are friends
from years ago, even from my
football days with Hull City and
Bridlington Town, people from
my days working with my Dad in
the fruit trade.
The club was launched in Hull
in 1982 and became a registered
charity 10 years later under Sue
and the Treasurer, Jane Harper. It
built its first kennels at the smallholding
in South Cave in 1997 and
celebrated its 40th anniversary
this year. Sue, who with her CEO
Holly Barker leads a team of 10
staff and about 40 volunteers,
said the revenue from the book
helped the Trust survive the pandemic
and build a platform for
further investment and expansion.
To order a copy of Half a Lettuce
please email jo.taylor-standley@
sewell-group.co.uk
To find out more about Hull Animal
Welfare Trust please visit
https://hullanimalwelfare.co.uk/
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