Save the date for our Annual open day and dog show held at our Martlesham Animal Centre!

In addition to our friendly dog show, there will be fun for all the family, including RSPCA tombola, bottle tombola, raffle and games; stalls selling pet accessories, bric-a-brac, crafts and delicious foodie bits! We’ll also be offering refreshments.

Dog Show registration from 12 noon. Judging from 1pm

1pm: Crossbreed with Character

1:15pm: Happiest Hound

1:30pm: Young at Heart (dogs 8 years +)

1:45pm: Second Chance (any rescue dog)

2pm: Fabulous Female

2:15pm: Marvellous Male

2:30pm: Kids & K9s
(young handlers up to 16 years old)

2:45pm: Dog of the Day

All times are approximate and subject to change

₤2.50 per class or 3 classes for ₤6 (per dog)

Maximum 3 classes per dog

Entrance fee £1 for adults and 50p for children under 12 (sorry, no unaccompanied children under 14)

Disabled parking only at the Animal Centre, public parking available at the Martlesham Community Centre.

We hope to see you there!

Many thanks to all who supported our spring quiz on Saturday 27 April. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and together we raised a “grand” total of £1,012 for the animals in our Branch area.

The winners on the night were the Rebels, in a close run competition that saw the top five teams all within five points of each other! Congratulations, too, to the Happi Days team who brought up the rear.

Many thanks to Geoffrey for writing and hosting the quiz, to Kate for promoting and booking in the teams, to Dawn for doing the raffle and Ray for donating the bottles of wine for the winners. The kitchen team of Stephen, Susanne, Diane, Jan and Mary, cooked and served almost 100 piping hot baked potatoes, and many thanks to them too. The hall hire fee was donated by a regular supporter.

The raffle on the night raised £260 (included in the total above), and we very much appreciate everyone who donated a prize, including East of England Co-operative Society whose gift voucher bought three prizes.

Watch the website for details of more quizzes and events this year, and if you would like to help out, please contact Jane on 07592 517836 or via volunteering@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk Without the hard work and enthusiasm of our volunteers, we would not be able to help the number of animals and families with pets that we do. Please consider joining our volunteer team, no matter how many or few hours you feel you can give, especially in 2024, our 200th anniversary year.

We’re thrilled to be a charity partner for the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon for the third year running!

We are offering FREE limited charity spaces if you’d like to run on behalf of RSPCA Suffolk Central – all we ask in return is that commit to fundraise at least £150 on our behalf ahead of the event (that could be much easier than running a half marathon!).

And that’s not all, if you raise over £50 we’ll supply a free running vest!

If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest online here. We will then be in touch with your personal invitation to join our team.

Event details

Sunday 27 September 2026

Arrive 8.30am for Race start at 9.30am

The fantastic route starts at Portman Road stadium, takes you through Holywells Park before turning down to the Ipswich Waterfront, then following the River Orwell before heading back along the Wherstead Road, and Grafton Way before reaching the big finish at the stadium!

What’s included?

Full details about the event can be found on the event website here.

Please email fundraising@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk if you have any questions. 

Volunteer this year!

New year is a great time for starting something new, and what better activity to add to your schedule than a spot of volunteering?!

Over 170 people in Suffolk volunteer for RSPCA Suffolk Central, but we still need extra help and support.

If you could give some time this year, whether it is a regular commitment or a one-off gesture, we’d love to hear from you.

For a volunteer application form or to find out more about volunteer roles email volunteering@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk

Here are some of the roles we particularly need help with in 2025…

Volunteer Collectors

Collectors give just two hours on a Saturday once or twice a year to help collect donations at local supermarkets. We match you to your nearest store and pair you with another volunteer. We always tell you how much has been raised so you know exactly how much of a difference you make. It is an easy way to volunteer and help animals in Suffolk.

Collection Coordinator – West Suffolk

Are you good at organising? Do you know the Bury, Sudbury and Haverhill area well? Could you give a few hours each month to help coordinate store collections in West Suffolk? We are seeking someone with good administration and people skills to liaise with supermarkets and volunteers to organise store collections in West Suffolk. You will arrange rotas, coordinate the delivery of collection materials, and help count the proceeds, all from the comfort of your own home!

Event Volunteers – Set-Up

Can you put up a gazebo? Are you happy to lift and carry boxes and equipment? If so, we need you! Our events are great fun, but manning a stall is not for everyone. Some people are better suited to getting stuck into to the set up and breakdown of events, including putting up gazebos, moving tables, and erecting banners. Pick and choose the events you can help us at and give a couple of hours to help make the stand look amazing so we can raise lots of money!

Event Volunteers – Stand/Stall Holder

Do you enjoy talking to people? We need friendly, outgoing volunteers to welcome people to our event stands and help them participate in activities such as surveys, raffles, and competitions. You will be told about the latest projects the charity is working towards and be briefed on the animals in need of new homes, so that you can talk with confidence about how we are helping animals in Suffolk. You will also meet and spend time with other members of the events team including staff, volunteers, and trustees, meaning you will truly be a part of the RSPCA Suffolk Central family.

Coffee Shop Volunteers

We need friendly, efficient volunteers to help serve coffee and cakes, greet customers, and keep the area clean and tidy at our new coffee shop in Bury St Edmunds on the Bartons Retail Park. The coffee machine is easy to use with a push-button function, and all food comes pre-prepared, so no specialist skills are required. You will be spending time in a bright, welcoming environment and helping to generate funds for animals in need of rescue and rehoming. Great for work experience, broadening your skills, or giving some time back to a cause you love.

Volunteer Spotlight On Tracey Colchester Home Visitor (Pictured)           

“I have volunteered as a home visitor for many years. I visit people to check out the suitability of their dwelling, and visit afterwards to see how their new family member has settled in.

It has been a delight getting to meet so many people and animals, and in so many different places. I’ve visited mansions and small flats. But all these places look like home to me.

The common theme is that the people adopting animals are always of the same mindset. They always have amazing tales to tell of animals they have taken in in the past, or friends they have lost and seek to replace. Or just a desire to help a distressed or lonely creature.  Many share the joy of finding a new companion and friend.

I have met people who were delightfully eccentric, elderly people who were lonely, and children in need of a playmate. There have only been a few occasions where I have felt the place was unsuitable for this animal. Almost always I’ve been able to help unite people with their perfect pet.

It’s never a chore. I think the only problem is that I often want to take the animal home with me instead!”

Thank you to our supporters for raising FREE donations for RSPCA Suffolk Central so far by shopping online via #easyfundraising.

The funds that have been raised do make a difference to us during these challenging times. If you are shopping the sales or planning any 2025 getaways, please remember to keep using easyfundraising so we don’t miss out.

If you’re not supporting us on easyfundraising yet, please sign up here:

Sign up with easyfundraising today!

Easyfundraising allows you to shop with your favourite retailers, all while raising funds for animals in need – shops include Argos, Sainsburys, M&S and more!

If your group or organisation is looking for an interesting animal welfare talk, then look no further. Gill is our lovely volunteer speaker who can give an engaging talk on animal welfare and the work the Branch does for animals in our local area. The talk can be tailored to adult or child groups, on a class basis that is age appropriate or a full school assembly. The talks are free of charge, but of course we are always open to donations or monies raised via fundraising.

If you would like to book a talk, please email Gill at: education@rspca-ipswich.org.uk or call 01473 623280.