Cupcakes at St George

Last week, Zoe from Education visited St George SSP in Kogarah to meet students who had participated in Cupcake Day at school to raise funds for RSPCA.
Not only did the small school raise over $140, they also created a beautiful poster with pictures of the day which is now hanging in RSPCA NSW offices and brightening up everyone's day!
Thanks St George!

Can’t forget the better cookies!

RSPCA NSW Education would like to thank Snowy Mountains Cookies for helping the Team entice unsuspecting event-goers at the recent ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ Expo.

The cookie company provided samples of their fantastic free-range egg cookies and they were the perfect conversation starter about layer hen welfare and what consumers can do to help.

Snowy Mountains Cookies have already been recognised for their commitment to animal welfare as the recipients of RSPCA’s Good Egg Award.

One of our hens casting a protective eye over the
free range cookies...

Better homes, gardens and animal welfare

If we were to let you know that RSPCA NSW Education had a stall at the recent ‘Better Homes and Garden’ Expo, then we bet you would expect to find us in the ‘Garden and Pets’ section. Time to be pleasantly suprised because our attendance this time was focused on the plight of our hens and their eggs, which placed us right in amongst the hustle and bustle of the ‘Cooking’ section.

Many animal welfare supporters are unaware that a major way RSPCA helps animals is by getting the public thinking about animals across society and beyond just our pets. How do we do this? Campaigns!

One that everyone and anyone can have a massively positive impact on is with the outcome our layer hens.

When consumers purchase cage eggs, they are inadvertently saying that it’s okay for hens to live in a cage with an area less than an A4 piece of paper, be unable to exhibit natural behaviours such as nesting, dust bathing or even stretch their wings.

When consumers purchase barn-laid, free range or cage-free eggs, they are affording hens an opportunity to roam around, do all the things that hens love to do and socialise!

To become an informed consumer, click here for the full story.

Argh, it's a giant chook!





The Education Team let their Manager, Mark Jeffrey, out
of his cage/office for the day - keep up the educating Mark!

Fancy seeing you again!

It’s lovely to visit groups on an annual basis to get that extra chance to deliver our Education Programs to an ever-maturing audience.

The spotlight this time is on Narwee Preschool Kindergarten, who invite the Education Team each year and put a lot of effort into their fundraising efforts with an awesome donation each time!

Education Officer, Eva, has a particularly soft spot for this Centre as she has had witnessed the growth of the participants as well as experienced the continued support of the staff in ensuring that the children fully understand the RSPCA ‘Dog Safety’ Program.

As the Program requires a minimum age of 3 years, for those who may have been too young they get a chance to be part of the program the following year and those who have been a part of the Program get a chance to further develop their understanding of knowledge that even many adults are unaware of.

Thanks Sylvia for helping all the children at the Centre become ‘Dog Safety’ experts and we look forward to visiting again next year!

We're forever etched into their minds :)

Cookie in Crookwell!

It’s not everyday that an audience is wowed by the RSPCA Tales picture books but with a small group and plenty of time during a visit to Binda Public School, Education Officers, Zoe and Eva, happily read through some of the amazing tales based on true stories.

What started off as a simple story about Cookie the Horse who was sadly abandoned, a situtation not uncommon to RSPCA Inspectors, quickly turned into a fantastic surprise! The neighbouring town of Crookwell featured as one of the places in the story – what a coincident!

Eva just couldn’t believe her eyes so she just had to let you bloggers know – the tales really ARE based on true stories.

We wonder where Cookie is now...

Photo opp!

Been in Binda before?

Well Education Officers Zoe and Eva can now answer in the affirmative as of a fortnight ago.

Although the RSPCA NSW Education Team predominantly service the Sydney Metropolitan area, it is common to see the Team spread far and wide, educating all across the State. The last week of August saw a journey of 100s of kilometres outside of what Eva deemed her comfort zone and into the familiar farming communities for Zoe.

Their travels started in Nowra with a bit of dog safety and a lot of career info, first at a local school then the annual South Coast Indigenous Employment Expo.Questions were asked about working with animals and Zoe and Eva were proud to recount their path to working for RSPCA NSW.

Where to next? Cosied up safely in the pretty Education Van, the pair made their way past Crookwell, to Binda Public School, where practically the whole school had entered the recent Van Designing Competition. The students spent a windy few moments playing “where’s my photo?” around the van then headed into the classroom to chat about all things RSPCA with students from Binda, Bigga and Laggan Public Schools all mixing together. The conversation was definitely interesting with a move away from the typical household cat and dog to livestock including a thousand head of sheep and cattle! But the principles of animal welfare stay the same – afford all creatures great and small the five freedoms.

Thanks to the brilliant Binda students for making our van look amazing and swapping some awesome animal stories!

Binda, oh yeah!

The Education Van enjoying some company :)

Who said sugar and fitness doesn’t mix?

As you avid blog followers can tell, Cupcake Day is more like Cupcake Month as we invite groups to hold their sugary sweet fundraiser on any date in August. And don’t think we’ve just seen schools, preschools, university and corporate groups involved but everyone in between!

Wrapping up the month of cupcakeness, CYL Dragonboat Club rewarded themselves following their weekly training session with some aptly branded cupcakes to fundraise for RSPCA NSW. From one non-profit organisation to another, it’s great to see so many individuals from different walks of life passionate about one thing – improving animal welfare!

Thanks to Jen and Rita for ensuring all cupcakes were baked using free range eggs – an aspect of Cupcake Day which is just as important as the funds raised.

CYL..."cupcakes you love?"

Why oh why...asks Whalan

 Nothing makes the RSPCA NSW Education Team happier than when we’re faced with the big animal welfare questions and students from Whalan Public School were definitely up on theirs!

Education Officer, Eva, was invited to the School as part of Stage 3’s unit on Global Communities, where each class set out to investigate a global issue. Bonus points to one class for making the brave decision to delve deeper into the world of animal cruelty. It quickly became apparent that this particular class had done their research with small groups within the class focusing on a specific topic such as animal for entertainment or domestic animals. Thanks to their teacher, Lisa, for inspiring the next generation of animal cruelty investigators having previously discussed intensive farming systems with the students, a topic many adults have little or no knowledge of.

More bonus points to Mathew Constable for facilitating what can only be deemed as the perfect Cupcake Day fundraiser where careful consideration was given to every step of the process. Baking with cage free eggs and organic flour to produce ‘blank canvas’ cupcakes for students to decorate which were then sold to eager students who were part of a thought-provoking RSPCA NSW Education talk!

Our biggest thanks to each and every class we met at Whalan Public School for going on a journey into what RSPCA does and contemplating the same animal welfare issues that we do on a daily basis.

Before...

After!

Oh so sweet learning in a pot!

It wasn’t grizzly bears who were attracted to this honey pot, but Education Officer, Eva, who was drawn to Honeypot Preschool in Cranebrook.

Things couldn’t get any sweeter as Eva had the assistance of wonderfully supportive staff. Especially when it comes to early childhood kids, the presence of a nurturing environment where discussion is encouraged ensures that new knowledge will stick. Sure it’s great when RSPCA NSW Education swoops in with their ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ Program, props prepared, Rusty raring to go but without further opportunities for the children to utilise their knowledge, who knows what might disappear over time...

If you think you’ve got just the right environment for one of our RSPCA NSW Education Programs, then you know the drill – get in contact with us! Call us on 9782 4460 or email us at education@rspcansw.org.au

"Hmm, what did Eva say about toys again?!"

RSPCA NSW’s Baker of the Year goes to...

Gillian Bushby!

Okay, so it’s not an official award but we’re sure RSPCA NSW cannot deny that Gill continues to outshine all others each year with her amazing cupcake masterpieces!

Gill is one of our 32 RSPCA Inspectors and it looks like when she’s not on the road rescuing and assisting animals in need, she’s busily baking and making cupcakes that are so awesome that we dare not eat them but merely admire from afar!

The talented Inspector is a great example of how there is more than one way of helping animals! During the day she responds to concerns from the local community regarding incidents of animal cruelty and turns hero when rescuing animals stuck in sticky situations. Yet at night she is purchasing cage free eggs and baking into the late night hours to produce wonderful cupcakes to help fundraise some of the $39,000,000 needed by the RSPCA NSW each year.

Think you’ve got some cupcake creations to rival Gill’s? Bring it on!

We’d love to see how everyone went during our most recent Cupcake Day Fundraiser, so drop us a line at: education@rspcansw.org.au

Sugar bones!

Ooo...



Naughty fondant puppy!



Gill. You. Are. Awesome.

Before and after Cupcake Day

Leading up to any Cupcake Day Fundraiser is countless hours of preparation, planning and publicity but luckily for Rusty, the RSPCA NSW Education Team mascot, he gets to skip that part and go straight to the taste testing!

You’d think after a week of visits and ‘taste tests’ he’d finally have enough but don’t underestimate the appetite of a toy dog! Next in Rustys’ educating and eating journey came Pennant Hills Before and After School Care, with a tower of cupcakes and close to 100 kids to educate.

Split into two groups, Education Officer, Eva, made sure Rusty did he’s share of educating before indulging in his cupcake cravings with a ‘Dog Safety’ talk with the younger kids, followed by a ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ talk with the older kids.

Thanks to Danielle, the staff, kids and parents for pitching in and holding a super-successful Cupcake Day Fundraiser! Rusty’s still dreaming of just one more cupcake...

Lucky last one Rusty!
...or is it?

Open the till for Beaumont Hill!

What a great way to involve the whole community, with Beaumont Hills Long Day Preschool actively engaging local businesses, the local paper, local families and ofcourse RSPCA NSW Education in their first ever Cupcake Day Fundraiser!

From the start to finish of the cupcake creating process, Beaumont Hills had the help and support of the local community.

To purchase their ingredients, they requested and successfully gained a donation from their local supermarket.

To bake and make the cupcakes, the staff got their hands nice and floury.

To decorate the cupcakes, the children aproned up and manned the decorating station.

To buy the cupcakes, parents happily paid above and beyond the market value for their child’s lovely creation.

To publicise the event, the local paper was invited to take some happy snaps.

To educate on all things animal welfare, RSPCA NSW Education Officer, Eva, discussed the importance of responsible pet ownership with Rusty by her side.

Thanks to Albina, Sam and all the staff, kids and parents at Beaumont Hills Long Day Preschool for an awesome effort and we hope you guys can outdo yourselves next time!

Creation Station!

Mmm...sugary goodness!

Thanks Sam and Albina for a wonderful
Cupcake Day Event!

First second time around

Not ones to do things just the once, First Grammar Merrylands participated in the RSPCA Cupcake Day for the second year in a row.

Wonderful cupcake creations were made , funds were raised and the RSPCA NSW Education Team were invited to deliver their ‘Dog Safety’ Program to the children to coincide with the festivities. Education Officer, Eva, was very happy to be a part of the celebrations and shared the secrets to a happy relationship with our canine companions with the kids.

Thanks to Maggie and the Team for their continued support of RSPCA NSW and we can’t wait to see you guys next year!

Rusty always takes the time to thank
all those involved!

Your W.I.S.H come true...

RSPCA NSW love making ‘wishes’ come true and quite a few were granted a fortnight ago in Wooloomooloo.

Education Officers, Zoe and Eva, brought along their ‘wishing wands’ in the form of dog coats, cat and dog food as well as flea and worm prevention to the monthly W.I.S.H (Wooloomooloo Integrated Services Hub). In collaboration with RSPCA NSW’s ‘Living Ruff’ Program, the Education Team provided much needed advice and goods to individuals who were experiencing homelessness and were finding it difficult to properly meet the needs of their pets.

Zoe and Eva met some wonderful people who were going through some tough times and from the stories they heard were obviously owners of much loved pets and companions.

The goods that were most needed included the basics like pet food and preventative care treatment and it is thanks to the wonderful supporters of RSPCA NSW that we can provide these to those who need it most at no cost to them.

If you would like to help RSPCA NSW help the homeless and their animals, feel free to donate pet care items or contact the ‘Living Ruff’ Team for more information.

I'd love a jacket, in extra small please!