Here we are again, at the end of another year and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers,suppliers and contacts in the trade and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas 2011 and wish you all success in 2012.

This year instead of sending out Christmas cards we have decided to make a donation to a Charity which is quite close to our hearts. This Charity is Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre who have 2 sites, the original one in Ince Blundell just on the outskirts of Liverpool and the other being Caernarfon, North Wales.

Freshfields are a non profit making organisation that go far beyond just being a rescue centre. They offer a temporary refuge and sanctuary for animals that have been neglected or mistreated and upon reaching Freshfields the animals can be looked after and cared for in a safe environment until they are not just re-homed but are matched to their forever home.

One of the reasons we have chosen Freshfields is that over the years we have re-homed a number of dogs from them, one of them is our very own greeter which if you have visited our works you may have had the pleasure in meeting him. Mic was a typical entry into Freshfields who had originally been found as a stray in North Wales and was probably a farm dog that had been abused. When I first went to see him, he was scared of his own shadow and in particular was very scared of men, this probably being due to some incidents in his past. After a number of visits, very slowly instead of running away and hiding he started to come near me and take treats off me but always crouching and ready to run if he felt threatened. Slowly and over a period of weeks Mic started to trust me and from Freshfields I was able to take him out for short walks, this was followed by him visiting my house for a couple of afternoons and then he was allowed a sleep over. Mic is a border collie and as you may know border collies crave routine and don't like too many changes all at once,so going from the rescue centre to living in a house and coming to work was all quite a big step for him but the one thing he did have even though he was still a very nervous dog was trust.

In June 2009, 3 months after we first met, I adopted Mic and he left his home of 18 months at Freshfields and moved in with me. Needless to say he took a little while to settle into his new surroundings and was still very nervous of anything unfamiliar to him, this could even be a car parked on the pavement, or someone walking behind us or any strange noise unfamiliar to him.

Today Mic is nicely settled and every morning gets to go and play with his friends on a field before coming into work where he acts as a greeter every time he hears someone enter the building. He is no longer the nervous little collie I met in 2009 and has evolved into a very affectionate, obedient and funny little character full of personality who seems to appreciate the fact that he has been given a second chance at life.... this one being where he is cared for, looked after and is wanted.

So this year if you can also help Freshfields, their carers and their residents no matter how big or how small a donation, this could be the most appreciated money you could spend this Christmas.

Freshfields Animal Rescue,

East Lane,

Ince Blundell,

Liverpool,

L29 3EA

www.freshfieldsrescue.org.uk