Some tickets are still available for Michael Leach’s illustrated talks on Thursday 30 April, at Abbotsholme School near Rocester.

The afternoon talk in the School’s library at 4pm entitled “Animals Behaving Badly” will give an insight into animal behaviour – sometimes learnt from their human counterparts! Meet drunken monkeys, psychotic magpies, hallucinating lemurs and larcenous orang-utans, amongst others.

The evening talk at 7pmin the Chapel, “Beneath the Dark Canopy” will reveal how rainforests work: the habitat of more than half of all known animal species. Michael will draw on his adventures in Borneo, the Amazon Basin and Central America to show how animals have evolved to live in this fragile, intricate environment. He will reveal his work with orang-utans, monkeys and river otters, to name just a few.

Michael has been a full time naturalist since 1977 and has travelled all round the world in search of subjects. He has been described as a “unique wildlife humourist”. His photos have been published in over 1000 books and he has filmed wildlife for BBC and ITV. Both talks will be illustrated by Michael’s wonderful slides.

Tickets for these fascinating talks are available from the Careline office, tel. 01335 210353; Natural Choice, Ashbourne; or John German Estate Agents, Uttoxeter; or online at Eventbrite.

Ticketprice (per talk): Adults £10, Under 16s £6, including light refreshments.

Careline is seeking to appoint a highly motivated manager to run the telephone befriending charity and guide its future development. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, the ability to secure funding, manage staff and volunteers and maintain a high profile for the charity.

PT / 25 Hours.  Circa £26,000 (pro rata)

Please send a copy of your CV and a covering letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining the skills and experience that make you suitable for the post, giving contact details of two referees to: info@carelinecalling.org.uk  or by post to: Lesley Tetley, Careline, St Oswald’s Hospital, Clifton Road, Ashbourne DE6 1DR

CLOSING DATE: MONDAY 20 APRIL 2015

For further information about the role please download the attached document.

Job Description Manager

Join us at 4pm or 7pm on Thursday 30th April at Abbotsholme School Rocester ST14 5BS, to hear the inspirational speaker Dr Michael Leach talk about some of his most amusing, if not hair-raising experiences whilst filming wildlife!

Michael has travelled to all 7 continents and worked with many of the world’s most charismatic animals – polar bears in the Arctic, gorillas in central Africa, lemurs in Madagascar, sperm whales in the mid-Atlantic, monkeys in the Amazon, penguins in the Antarctic and elephants in Kenya.

As a professional naturalist, he has filmed wildlife for the BBC and ITV, as well as many other well-known organisations and has very kindly agreed to do two talks in aid of Careline, both of which will appeal to young and old alike:

4pm: Animals Behaving Badly Meet some drunken monkeys, phobic ostriches and thieving orang-utans, amongst others.

7pm*: Beneath the Canopy Share Michael’s wildlife experiences in Tropical Rainforests, The Amazon and Borneo. *please note that there is no disabled access to this talk

Tickets: Adults £10, under16s £6 to include light refreshments.

Available from the Careline Office in St Oswald’s Hospital and Natural Choice in Ashbourne. Or John German Estate Agents, Market Place, Uttoxeter.

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Thank you to everyone who came along to support our Christmas Coffee Morning last Friday, where we raised a whopping £2052!

Everyone agreed what a lovely morning it was. As well as raising funds, it was an opportunity for our members to meet some of the volunteers that they speak to regularly on the phone, over a cup of tea and a mince pie. The Ashbourne Singers kindly came along too and entertained everyone with carols around the tree.

We’re very grateful to Whites of Ashbourne and Wyaston Nursery who generously provided items for our Christmas Raffle; to Claire Astbury for baking the delicious mince pies and the Ashbourne Singers for helping us to get into the festive spirit! To the staff at St Oswald’s Hospital and of course to our wonderful volunteers and members who always support our fundraising events by donating items, helping to organise or just by coming along on the day.