The best way to celebrate your birthday? Volunteering with the BHWT!

Carole Raven has a habit of celebrating her birthdays by doing something good for chickens. On her 50th birthday, she was gifted an Eglu and promptly rehomed her first (of many) BHWT ex-commerical hens. On her 60th, she decided to become a volunteer.

Last year, Carole turned 61 and spent her birthday volunteering with the Essex rehoming team. And she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Carole said, “It was fantastic, I spent my birthday with an amazing bunch of people. Yes, we worked hard, but seeing people collecting their hens and their enthusiasm, you get carried away with it.”

Of course, she couldn’t go home empty-handed on her birthday and four more lucky hens were added to her flock with Carole’s kind boss donating to the BHWT to mark the day!

Animal lover Carole now has 10 ex-bats, she said, “With lockdown I was classed as extremely vulnerable and was in isolation. To then be let out and meet this amazing group of people who made me feel so welcome was incredible. We’re there for a reason and we’re there because we’re passionate about hen welfare, and it is so evident how passionate everyone is about what the charity does.

“Our coordinator Fliss is superb; I’ve never volunteered for a charity who look after their volunteers in the way she does. Every now and then she gives us a call just to check we’re ok and if we need anything.

“You’re not just a volunteer that gets called up as and when you’re needed, you’re a volunteer that’s respected and valued.”