Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, recently helped open the brand new Dogs Trust home in Nevendon, Wickford, where he had the chance to meet several of its new canine inhabitants, before being shown around the £7.3 million state of the art facilities.
The opening ceremony, which included a parade of rescue dogs, attracted over 120 guests including staff of Dogs Trust Essex, Councillor Mo Larkin, the Mayor of Basildon, and Philip Daubeny, the Dogs Trust Chairman, and Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Chief Executive, as well as pupils from Wickford's North Crescent Primary School. Mark was invited to participate after he was also present at the "sod-turning ceremony" back in February last year, alongside Amy Childs, of The Only Way is Essex.
The brand new centre in Wickford, which is the culmination of over 15 months building work, has created over 40 jobs and is the charity’s 20th home of its type, which will cater for about 1,000 dogs a year, in addition to the 17,000 already cared for by Dogs Trust. It features dedicated training and behavioural advisers, a rehabilitation centre and even a hydrotherapy pool, dogs of all shapes and sizes will be offered all the help they need to find a new home. The day after the opening, on the very first day the home was open to the public, 48 dogs were rehomed.
Commenting on the opening, Mark Francois said:
"It was a pleasure to assist the official opening of the Dogs Trust’s new home in Wickford, and to meet some of the staff as well as the dogs themselves - especially as I was also present as the inception of the building work last year. It’s truly amazing to see all of the hard work that has gone into making the Wickford Dogs Trust the great facility that it is and I am grateful to all of those who helped bring this project to fruition."