Volunteers Week: Caernarfon landlord Dawn James' volunteering story
National Volunteers Week is fast approaching, and we are showcasing some of the work our members are doing in their communities.
In this article first published in membership magazine Property, meet Caernarfon landlord Dawn James. On retiring from her lettings agency, animal lover Dawn James could have been forgiven for putting her feet up; instead, she’s found a new vocation, volunteering to raise money for sick and abandoned pets. Victoria Barker finds out more.
Managing up to 120 rentals at a time, Dawn James was used to havingher hands full, running her own portfolio and a busy lettings and estate agency.
With 20 years under her belt as a landlord, Dawn also ran James Properties in Caernarfon, North Wales, for 10 years, looking after properties across North Wales and Sheffield.
But when retirement beckoned five years ago, Dawn had time to take stock and, rather than having a well deserved rest, decided it was time for a new challenge, raising cash for the animal charities close to her heart.
Since then, she has made the same 10-minute trip three times a week to volunteer at local charity shop Freshfields Animal Rescue in Caernarfon.
The charity was set up more than 21 years ago. All funds raised at the shop go directly towards Freshfields
Animal Rescue, a charity with two animal rescue centres in Liverpool and Wales, and several charity shops scattered around those areas.
The charity cares for abandoned, abused and unwanted domestic animals, such as cats, dogs, small animals and horses, as well
as farm animals and sick and injured wildlife.
With no two days the same, Dawn says she loves nothing more than ringing through bargains and sorting through the donations that flood in each week. And despite Dawn’s position being voluntary, make no mistake, the role is fast-paced.
“We all have targets,” smiles Dawn, adding, “One or two of us at the shop are quite competitive, so we try to beat each other on sales. I love to keep busy, so I really enjoy it.”
COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE
In fact, Dawn enjoys her role so much that quite often she will arrive early. “I love meeting people and there is a really lovely atmosphere in the shop. We have plenty of regulars and there are all sorts of volunteers you meet, too – retired people, students on placements – and they all bring something new. We have a really good network of friends.
“Sometimes when I arrive for my shift there are a couple of people who are already queuing up outside to come in and see some of the new things we have got on the shelves. “I have been volunteering there for five years now, so I love the familiarity of it; the sound of the steamer, sifting through clothing and bric-abrac donations. “I also love the variety. Sometimes people will bring their dogs in, so I always have some treats on the counter ready to give to them.” So, what sort of items do people donate? “We do sometimes get some very old things,” says Dawn, adding, “Some items even go back to the 1950s:
old-fashioned typewriters, crockery. Often, people do house clearances and they bring some things to us, so we never know what we are going to get. Commonly, we receive toys, CDs and records.” Much of the cash raised by the charity goes towards funding vital medical treatment for the animals in its care.
“As you can imagine, caring for such a broad range of animals, vet bills can be sky-high, so much of the money raised goes towards paying for that,” she says. “Demand is at an all-time high, as the cost of living has meant that some people can no longer care for their pets and have to sadly give them up.”
Animal welfare is a cause that has always been close to Dawn’s heart.
As well as spending half of her week volunteering at the charity shop, Dawn has one cat, Tatty, which she says adopted her after turning up in her garden and then continuing to come back day after day.
Dawn also helps out at an animal rescue centre in Sheffield called Cat-CHING, founded by her daughter, Lauren JamesThompson, in April 2019. Dawn donates monthly to Cat-CHING, contributes to fundraisers and, whenever she visits her daughter, is hands-on looking after all the cats. The charity rescued more than 128 cats during the last year alone.
Landlord life
While Dawn retired from the lettings agency business at 65, she and her husband, Gareth, a retired chartered surveyor, still have a portfolio of 12 rental properties – family homes on the outskirts of Caernarfon and Sheffield. And yes, she does permit pets in all, providing the accommodation is suitable. Does she miss her old jobs? “I sometimes do,” smiles Dawn.
“But, of course, I now get the best of both worlds, because I can still care for my rentals and tenants, but also for animals in need, too.” l Do you volunteer in your local community or raise money for causes close to your heart?
Do you have an interesting story to tell about how you got involved? If you would like to share your story in the pages of Property, email [email protected].
