In 1996 having decided our next dog would be a rescue and a Collie it seemed sensible to contact BCTGB who were only a few miles away. And so Taffy came into our lives. At the time the BCTGB centre was a dream for those involved and 12 months after taking on Taffy I read that the Trust had purchased its own kennels and needed blankets etc. I arrived with a car load of stuff and after a long chat left with a volunteer application form. I spent many a happy hour walking dogs and helping out at various events including Crufts and then in April 2000 was asked if I would be willing to become a Trustee. As Ken said, this is a honour not to be taken lightly but I was more than happy to accept. In 1999 my wife Sue and I took on Sheba, another rescue collie who came to the Trust in a very agrophobic and scared state - but that's another long story!! Suffice to say she came out of her shell and was a bundle of fun until unfortuntely we lost her after a short illness in 2008. After becoming a Trustee I took on dealing with all email communication for the Trust, and became the webmaster for this site. It has been a privilege to work with all the Trustees, who give so freely of their time and effort and also the staff at our kennels who provide such a high quality of care for all the dogs who unfortunately come into our centre. A Trustees role does involve a commitment but the sense of satisfaction at seeing our achievements is second to none.
In 2002 I retired from the Police service and began doing just a few hours in the office. In 2004 Sue and I moved into the house at the centre. Since then my involvement has grown and grown at the centre, becoming an "expert" in HR, H&S, VAT, Ride on Mowers and even septic tanks! - all this from adopting a collie
In 2015 I was honoured to not only be a nominated and selected as a finalist in The PetPlan and ADCH Animal Charity Volunteer Of The Year but to be announced as the winner at the ADCH Conference in Bournemouth. A great honour for myself and the Trust.
In November 2008 we sadly lost Sheba and Taffy also left us in April 2009. It didn't take long to adopt a new companion and Reilly (or Sir Reilly as he was known at the centre) joined us in April 2009 until he also passed in May 2021. In February 2022 Lady Anywn (can you see a theme developing here?) joined us. Deaf and easily over stimulated she continues my never ending understanding and appreciation of the Border Collie.
Ben Wilkes

Taffy 1995 - 2009

Sheba 1996 - 2008

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