Jollyes, the UK’s fastest-growing pet retailer, today formally launched a partnership with the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) which will see it fundraise for the charity over the next 12 months.
The partnership, which will run alongside the local charities each of Jollyes 100-plus stores support, will help NFRSA support the care, well-being, and welfare of retired service animals from across the emergency service family – the police, fire, border force, National Crime Agency, NHS and prison services.
Over the next 12 months, all Jollyes’ stores will be raising money for NFRSA with collections matched by Jollyes up to £20,000 that will help NFRSA support retired service animals and their owners.
Attending the Nuneaton opening will be NFRSA’s founder and chairman The Countess Bathurst former High Sheriff of Gloucestershire alongside NFRSA ambassador and England rugby union player Lewis Ludlow,
They will also be joined by three retired Warwickshire police dogs – RPD Duke, Robbo the force’s, newest licensed search dog and Tilly, its oldest registered search dog. All three dogs will bite through a string of sausages to declare the store open.
There will be goody bags available for the first 100 customers, stilt walkers and an opportunity for all customers to spin Jollyes’ iconic ‘Wheel of Furtune’ to win instant prizes.
Jollyes has also invited parliamentary candidates in both Nuneaton and Newcastle to each opening to learn more about its ‘pet manifesto’ which includes a proposal that the next government considers a ‘pet pension’ or stipend for retired service animals to help owners meet the cost of protecting those animals who protected us.
“We can’t wait to open our doors for the first time in Nuneaton this Friday and at our refurbished store in Newcastle,” said Jollyes’ chief executive officer Joe Wykes.
“Our teams will be at the ready to show customers old and new the full range of what the best Jollyes stores can offer, all backed by the pet advice our colleagues are famous for.
“And I’m thrilled that in both Nuneaton and Newcastle we’ll be launching our partnership with NFRSA – we already know how generous our customers and colleagues are and we’ll work hard over the coming months to make a real difference for the retired service animals under their care.”
The founder of NFRSA, The Countess Bathurst said:
“Jollyes’ passion is for pets and their families and the NFRSA’s passion is for retired service animals across the country, so our amazing new partnership has the most extraordinary synergy and energy.
“Our duty is to care for them at every level and I’m delighted and deeply grateful that Jollyes and the NFRSA are joining hands to make that happen.”
Jollyes’ new Nuneaton store will be its 103rd in the UK and will launch with a frozen raw food shop-in-shop. Later this year it will also open a community pet clinic offering low-cost vet services such as microchipping and vaccinations.
The store, at Newton Retail Park has created nine new roles and will be managed by Andy Kineton who recently joined Jollyes after store and regional manager roles for Iceland, Booker and B&M.
The next day (Saturday 29 June), Jollyes will be re-launching its West Denton store in Newcastle after a major refit.
Jollyes has grown its store estate by 50 per cent in three years and has had an remarkable start to 2024 winning new investment to supercharge its growth, being named as the best retailer in Britain at the prestigious Retail Week awards for retailers under £250m turnover and making the Sunday Times’ list for the first time as one of Britain’s best big companies to work for.