‘It’s a privilege to be able to support the dedication and expertise of organisations working tirelessly for feral cat welfare across our area’
A new Hull Feral Cats Legacy Fund has been launched across Hull and the East Riding.(Image: RSPCA Hull & East Riding)
A new £20,000 fund has been launched by the RSPCA to help manage feral cat populations across the region. Feral cats are wild and unsocialised – managing their populations is complex, and carried out through partnerships with a number of animal welfare groups and individuals across Hull and the East Riding.
Now the Hull Feral Cats Legacy Fund has been launched to support organisations responding to feral and community cat welfare across the area, thanks to a generous legacy donation from the estate of supporters Mr and Mrs Milestones. The fund, administered by Jaycon Legal Solicitors, has been entrusted to RSPCA Hull & East Riding CIO to manage as a restricted, shared resource for feral cat welfare activity.
As a result, the Legacy Fund is designed to support a sustainable, coordinated, and humane approach to managing feral cat populations, recognising how the complex and demanding the work can be. Fred Owne, CEO of RSPCA Hull & East Riding CIO, said the fund is not to be used to support the core rehabilitation or rehoming work that RSPCA Hull & East Riding is known for.
It has been set aside purely to help feral cats, and for those who work so hard to help the ferals, by trapping and neutering them, potentially re-siting cat colonies and helping those that are injured. Mr Owne said the Hull Feral Cats Legacy Fund represents a long-term investment in solutions – not short-term fixes – that aims to deliver lasting improvements in the welfare of feral cats across Hull and the East Riding.
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .
He added: “It’s a real privilege to be able to support the dedication and expertise of organisations working tirelessly for feral cat welfare across our area. This fund isn’t about any single organisation — it’s about valuing the commitment of those who care deeply about cats and giving them the support to work together.
“By taking a joined-up approach, we can create something sustainable, coordinated, and genuinely impactful for the future.”
RSPCA Hull & East Riding CIO explained how it has been entrusted to manage the fund because it is not a frontline feral cat rescue organisation. That means the charity can give the funding to those that can be put it to good work independently and fairly, without competing operational pressures.
It also makes sure the funds stay focused on supporting the wider network of organisations and volunteers who carry out feral cat welfare work locally. The Hull Feral Cats Legacy Fund operates as a “collaborative resource” accessed by organisations who are involved in feral cat welfare activity through the Hull Feral Cats Partnership.
The fund may be used to support veterinary costs linked to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) – where feral cats are caught, taken to vets to be neutered and then released where they were found – with costs including neutering, worming, flea treatment and testing. It can also be used to fund shared equipment such as traps, crates and carry cases; for recovery and welfare support for cats undergoing TNR; and for bulk purchasing and storage of essential shared items such as animal-safe disinfectants and PPE.
The money can also be used to carry out work in “high-need” feral cat colonies. Clear processes and governance is now being put in place to ensure funding decisions are transparent, proportionate, and directed where they will have the greatest welfare impact. These will be finalised in partnership with local organisations at a meeting in the next few weeks.
To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more, visit the Public Notices Portal .
