Community Champions: Derbyshire woman's lifelong commitment is rescuing cats and kittens

Jane Lynegar, pictured with Monty at Woodlands Nook Cat Rescue, has been nominated for a Community Champions award.

 

A WOMAN who has spent 23 years rescuing cats and kittens has been nominated for a Derby Telegraph Community Champions award.

And, even when Jane Lynegar is not at home caring for the dozens of cats she takes in every year, she takes a "busman's holiday" helping out at a cat rescue centre on Crete.
Mrs Lynegar was nominated for the Kindness Shown to Animals award by Emma Fisher, a volunteer who works at her rescue centre – Woodlands Nook Cat Rescue, in Delves Bank Road, Swanwick.

Mrs Fisher said: "Jane has run the rescue centre for the last 23 years with just volunteers. She cares deeply about the animals she rescues.

"The shelter is an amazing place with a no-cage policy. My rescue cat Loki would have died if not for Jane. She rehomes hundreds of cats, making sure first the homes are suitable for the animals. Her life revolves around the rescue.
"I try to go there to help out at least once a week and assist with feeding, cleaning out and just cuddling the cats to get them used to being handled."
Mrs Lynegar said that the cat rescue began because she "wanted to help cats and kittens".

She said: "We started off with a shed but now there is a bungalow, nurseries and conservatories for the cats to relax in.
"The number of cats we have here is currently rising because of the time of the year, although we did get down to single figures a few weeks ago for the first time ever. Two rescued pregnant females have just had four kittens each and we recently rescued another three abandoned kittens.

"People still don't get their cats neutered or spayed and so unwanted kittens are the by-product. But we always make sure the cats get good homes and we carry out personal inspections before we let them go."

Mrs Lynegar paid tribute to her volunteers and said they made it possible for her to be able to carry on her work.
She said: "They help look after the rescue centre if I go to Crete, although it is a busman's holiday because I go to the cat rescue centre there.

"Looking after the cats is a lifetime commitment but I never really wanted to do anything else."
The Derby Telegraph Community Champions Awards, now in their ninth year, celebrate people such as dedicated volunteers, fund-raisers and inspirational youngsters who deserve recognition.

The finalists in each category will be invited to a glittering ceremony at Derby County's iPro Stadium in June.
The awards are sponsored by a host of Derbyshire businesses, including the Eagle Market, Toyota, Mobility at Home, Specsavers, Pentagon, Morley Hayes, Chads Cars, Arriva and Weston Wood Lodges.

The Derby Telegraph wants to honour the amazing people in Derbyshire who put the needs of others before their own and give up their time without wanting anything in return.

To nominate your Community Champion, fill in the form here before nominations close on April 22.


Derby Telegraph  March 26th 2016

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