Several people have asked me why so long since the last newsletter. the reason is that I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for clearance to announce some good news. That's not happened so I'll plan to send an update soon.

This newsletter is shorter because I will include links to our website where appropriate, which also tells you all about Joanna and her Foundation.

Please share this newsletter and encourage others to sign up via our website.

Adrian Toole, Chair of the Joanna Toole Foundation (JTF)

Grant News

The Trustees have successfully negotiated the 1st round of what we term our 'Standard' Grants; these are not intended to be for emergency relief although we are well aware that the largely Covid-caused situation of many animal sanctuaries is as dire as when we ran our Emergency Grants program. We are looking in our Standard Grants to support projects with a long-term, sustainable benefit for animal welfare.

Standard Grants 2nd Round - open

Applications are open now and until 12 March, so if you yourself or any professional colleague has a worthwhile project, please read all about it here on our website:

Standard Grants 1st Round

The first round of our 'Standard' grants closed at the end of September last year and our decisions had not been finalised at the time of my last newsletter but now of course I can reveal all. This is the link to our grant recipients.

A great variety of projects there some close by and some far away. Some will directly go to help for individual animals, some for education, others scientific research on conservation and two on pursuing legal actions. These latter are interesting, I didn't know such law firms existed!

Donation Opportunities

As you've seen money is flowing out and we are helping animals daily & directly but we have to be thinking of how money is going to be flowing IN!

We’ve set up an additional donate button on our website which we’ll be promoting in due course – do take a look here

Or here is an easy way for you supporters to refill the bank; who doesn't shop with Amazon? I certainly do. So now, if you’re in the UK, Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of your purchase prices to the JTF at no extra cost to you and no extra complexity. When you want to browse Amazon, please use this link, which tells you how to go about it:

Amazon Smile link

Please give it a try (we know you use Amazon) and we'll be grateful to learn of any other similar offers.

The Joanna Toole Ghost Gear

Solutions Award

The Joanna Toole Annual Ghost Gear Solutions Award is made possible by support from World Animal Protection, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Ocean Conservancy. and continues the work started by Claire, Joanna, and the team at World Animal Protection.

Joanna was a devoted animal lover, who dedicated her professional life to this work. This yearly award is a key component of the many initiatives that we plan to keep her legacy and mission alive. Jo is our guide and inspiration in this work and the Trustees thank World Animal Protection, Ocean Conservancy and the GGGI for their contribution to the award.

I was pleased to be part of the 1st stage of the judging process; the final decisions were taken by an Expert Advisory Council convened by GGGI.

The 2020 award was augmented, as was the 2019, with a donation from an anonymous donor, a different and again there are two winners.

Alas there have Covid-related delays to the contractual arrangements and I am unable to release the names of the winners but I can tell you that they comprise different project methods for tackling Ghost Gear in wildly different environments. I will send out a special newsletter to you as soon as I am able.

In 2021 the award is again financed by World Animal Protection but in 2022 the Joanna Toole Foundation will be managing and funding this on our own.

New Members of GGGI

You will be interested, surprised even, to learn that the membership of GGGI now includes not only the US Government but also all the largest UK Supermarkets except Morrisons and Iceland; anyone fancy dropping them a line?

Update on Jo's Memorial in

Exmouth

Having secured the permissions, It had been my plan to have Jo's memorial bench constructed over the winter so that we could arrange a run/walk/cycle on Sunday 7th March, Jo's birthday. This has not been possible due to issues with contractors. I'm upset about this but in truth we would not have been allowed to hold the gathering in any case. I'm not giving up the project but neither can I name a new date. I can however show you a draft of the bench design done by my friend, illustrator Jo Salter. I'm hoping it will turn out something like this:

Advisor Sigrid Elsbeth Lueber

Last issue, I told you about one of our three new formal advisors, Elizabeth Hogan. This time let me introduce you to Sigrid Lueber. 'Sigi' is one of the most respected NGO leaders in 'The Business' and we are delighted that she is to be involved. Read about Sigi in this section of our website.

And Finally

After many years of brain atrophy, I have a new qualification:

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