Cats Protection Welcomes Treasury Report on Compensation for Charities

HAYWARDS HEATH, England - HAYWARDS HEATH, England, April 4 /PRNewswire/ –

Peter Hepburn, Chief Executive of Cats Protection, said: “It is brilliant news that the Treasury Select Committee has recommended that charities should be compensated for losses incurred through the failure of the Icelandic banks. Cats Protection has GBP11.2m deposited with Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF) - a UK bank owned by an Icelandic bank, Kaupthing, which was put into administration in October 2008.

“These savings were to be used to fund new cat adoption centres to help unwanted cats in areas of greatest need in the UK, such as Lisburn in Northern Ireland and Felling, near Gateshead. These projects are currently at risk because we cannot access these savings.

“In addition Cats Protection has been leading the charities’ action group, Save Our Savings (SOS), representing around 30 charities that collectively have GBP50m at risk due to the collapse of KSF.

“We lobbied for meetings with key members of the Government, including Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector, and Ian Pearson, Economic Secretary to the Treasury. Both gave us a good hearing when we explained the plight of these charities, so we are delighted by today’s news.

“I would now call upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer to act on the recommendations of this report, so that Cats Protection, and other charities involved in the SOS Group, can continue their vital work.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Cats Protection is the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and helps 157,000 cats and kittens each year through a national network of 252 volunteer-run branches and 29 adoption centres.

2. Cats Protection’s vision is to ensure that every cat is given the chance of a life where it will be treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

3. Founded as the Cats Protection League in 1927, the charity adopted the name Cats Protection in 1998. We ask that you use the name Cats Protection when referring to the charity in all published material.

4. More information about the work of Cats Protection can be found at www.cats.org.uk

HAYWARDS HEATH, England, April 4 /PRNewswire/ –

Source: Cats Protection

To arrange interviews with Peter Hepburn, please contact Cats Protection’s PR Manager at kate.bunting at cats.org.uk or +44(0)7841-077028.