NAWT Bedfordshire (formerly HULA Animal Rescue) has been a lifeline for many hundreds of animals over the past 50 years and could be for so many others to come. But the rehoming centre needs a lifeline of its own right now, and we desperately need your help.

We're currently in the middle of rebuilding the centre most of which has been in place for the last 50 years and is slowly falling apart. Without significant investment to install new accommodation, the centre would reach a point where it is no longer able to help homeless and abandoned animals.

Happily, we've had some progress this year and have recently opened brand new cattery buildings and kennel buildings thanks to enormous fundraising efforts to raise the money to do so.

However, we still have a long way to go. The reception buildings and office space is currently held in rented portacabins. An old stable block has been converted into temporary small animal accommodation but a permanent fit for purpose building is needed to house the small animals in our care.

Amidst all of this we've been hit with a bill for more than £23,000 from our water company, Wave Utilities, owing to a massive underground leak in our field. Normally our bill is around £500 every six months!

What's worse is Wave Utilities knew about this leak back in February when they took a meter reading and saw the huge soar in usage.

Instead we were left to discover it for ourselves in June when water started appearing in one of our fields

The sum of £23,000 is roughly the equivalent to the cost of caring for and rehoming 10-12 animals at our centre.

We have complained to Wave Utilities but so far they haven't changed their position.

Thank you for reading our story and for contributing what you can to help us pay this astronomical - and unfair - water bill.