Raystede Centre

The story of Raystede began in 1952, when former
school headmistress Mabel Raymonde-Hawkins bought
a bungalow with two acres of land near Ringmer in
East Sussex. Miss Raymonde-Hawkins was driven by
an overriding compassion for animals of all shapes
and sizes – she wanted to provide a sanctuary where
neglected animals could be rehabilitated and rehomed,
as well as promoting better welfare standards through
education.
That was more than 70 years ago, but Raystede
continues to uphold the principles established by its
founder.
Today Raystede is a charity that aims to help animals
through rehoming, rehabilitation and sanctuary, as well
as giving people the support and knowledge they need
to treat animals with care and respect.
Caring for all manner of animals from dogs, cats,
rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys and horses to alpacas,
goats, exotic birds, chickens and, more recently, a large
number of terrapins. The wide range of species that it
cares for makes Raystede one of the country’s most
diverse sanctuaries.
The charity continues to see an increase in the
number of animals it is asked to take in. Last year that
figure stood at an unprecedented 4,665 animals. Not
all of these could be accommodated – which is why
Raystede puts such an emphasis on education, through
responsible pet ownership initiatives.
Raystede is passionate about creating a world
where animals are treated with kindness, respect
and understanding. It costs approx. £6,500 per day
to provide the vital care its animals need. With no
government funding, the charity relies entirely on
donations and the generous support from local
communities to continue to help animals in need.
How you can help…
Located on South Road, Haywards Heath, Raystede’s
new shop will be its sixth high street charity shop, but its first located in West Sussex. As well as stocking a range of
pre-loved items for sale, the shop will be a great place to
find out more information about the charity and its work.
With a wide variety of clothes for adults and children,
there will also be a range of accessories, homeware,
toys, books, bric-a-brac and much more.
The Raystede shop team would be delighted to
receive donations of good quality items to sell to help
raise funds for unwanted or abandoned animals. These
can be dropped off at the shop during opening hours,
which will be Monday – Saturday, 9am – 4pm and 10am –
3pm on Sundays.
Are you a super salesperson, a fashion fan or a
marvellous merchandiser? There are also a range of
volunteer shop roles available including customer
service, sorting and prepping donated stock and
operating the till.