A COMPANY has launched its Christmas charity appeal early this year to help Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

Networx3, a Blackburn-based fibre-optic instillation and professional drone inspection company, has launched its Santa Paws 2020 appeal to raise money for food donations, essential supplies, and cash for the Edenfield sanctuary.

Every year the firm chooses seven animal charities to help, including the Bleakholt Sanctuary, which they say is especially important this year due to coronavirus’s effect on charity fundraising.

The aim of Santa Paws 2020 is to feed all the animals at the sanctuary for three months.

Bleakholt’s president Gemma Atkinson said: “We are delighted Networx3 have included Bleakholt in their 2020 Santa Paws Christmas appeal.

“It’s been a tough year for all charities and we are grateful that we have been chosen to hopefully receive enough food to feed our animals for 90 days. It makes a big difference in challenging circumstances.”

Caroline Earnshaw, the firm’s commercial director, who came up with the fundraiser, said: “Santa Paws 2020 is already off to a flying start with money pledged and boxes of food donated. This year it’s more important than ever before that we are able to make a difference to the animals that these vital charities help because they are some of the forgotten victims of the pandemic.

“I’m a self-confessed animal lover, I have four rescue dogs myself so it breaks my heart to think of animals going without.

Cash donations can be made via justgiving.com/fundraising/santapawsnetworx3