Find Us On… … …
Official Statement – Re: SARA Lanzarote
Published June 10, 2010 | 
Readers of this blog will know that historically we have fully supported the animal charity in Lanzarote – SARA Animal Shelter. SARA provides rescue and care for abandoned and unwanted pets on the Island – a service which is in dire need here. Indeed we adopted our first dog (Guido) from there back in 2006.
As we were so impressed with the service they provided, and the way it was run… we offered to design and build their website for free. We paid for the domain, and of course paid for hosting also. We also got involved by helping to promote events, marketing them online, and providing free advertising across our own websites and others.
However… due to our own reasons, we chose to QUIETLY withdraw our support some months ago. We won’t go into details, as it is not our story to tell – we removed our support with immediate effect. As I say… this was done quietly, and without fuss or ado.
Our contact at SARA has now left, and at no point did anyone else contact us to discuss the website or any help we were providing. They built their own website – which of course is absolutely fine. We were not offended… and were happy to leave them to it – we’re not precious about such things. We did not support them for thanks, gain or personal reasons… we simply provided help for what we felt was a worthy cause.
All seemed fine, until this week… when we have been made aware of a representative of the charity approaching our clients in an extremely inappropriate manner – casting aspersions on our professionalism stating that we “don’t cooperate”. I reiterate – we have have NEVER been contacted by any representative (other than our original contact) of the charity in all the time we worked with them..
This has hurt and offended us greatly. This has prompted me to write a public statement to set the record straight… rather than lies being fuelled by ill-advised and libellous snipes.
Despite SARA providing a laudable service – we now publicly state that we will never support them, or promote them ever again.
We will of course continue to support other charities on and off the Island, such as…
- Cancer research
- Niños del tercer mundo
- Young Heroes
You may also enjoy reading the following:
- SARA Car Boot / Christmas fair and Auction – 2008 Tomorrow is the day of the SARA Car Boot/Christmas Fair and Auction, and it all kicks off at 10am (auction at approx 12noon) Over 50...
- Bring and Buy Sale in Playa Blanca We all like bargains don’t we? So we’re happy to let you know that there will soon be a Fashion Bring and Buy sale at...
- SARA Slimathon – 2010 Over indulged and need to lose a few pounds? Why not join in the Sponsored Slimathon in aid of Sara. Losing weight and getting back...
- A cute kitten gets rehomed in Playa Blanca Last week I received a telephone call from a lovely lady called Patsy. She was over in Playa Blanca on her holidays and needed some...
- Lanzarote Retreat Many of you will know that Alan is in training for his upcoming charity walk of the seven main Canary Islands – and that this...
13 Responses to Official Statement – Re: SARA Lanzarote
Leave a Reply
Thanks Jilly.
Ellen has long gone
Ellen. As per conversations with Justine via email – we did indeed check our servers… and there have been no record of any emails originating from yourself. Justine has had no problems getting emails through to us whatsoever from the same domain extension.
We have reported on the facts as they are, whilst defending our business – we cannot reply to information that has come nowhere near us. Of course we keep all correspondence, and have done in this case too.
We would rather put this to bed now.
Elle & Alan
PS: Should you wish to discuss this further – our phone number remains 664 085 499
I am Ellen, the representative of SARA, what this is all about. I feel it is outrageous that a so called professional company as Gandy Draper made this public statement, which was originally redirected to the old domain of SARA!!
As a volunteer I feel absolute powerless against the way they are using the media to make this a public story and to put me and SARA in a negative light. Lucky for me I know how things went… no blame to me… or did I miss an email too… with their apologies?
My advise… have your server checked, because everybody else received my emails, but of course some of them forget to answer too… these things happen.
Sorry for my English, as you know I am not a native speaker.
Peter – of course we didn’t wish for this but the attitude we have encountered has been, well…. I’ll leave it at that.
Our phone number, as displayed on our website is 664 085 499.
The irony is that had we been asked properly in the first place we’d have probably given them the domain and continued to provide the free hosting. It’s that simple.
We were left no choice other than to defend our reputation on this one. They seem somehow to have mixed us in with some of their internal politics which we can’t and won’t go into publicly.
As we know, e mail wars are no good. That`s rich coming from me! But at the end of the day that is just ding dong debates on forums with likewise fools.
Please don`t let it ruin the great work you (both) provide and do along with reputations you both have (FACT). Not only on the island and in the region. But with vistors and guest READERS from all over the U.K. and Europe. Long may it continue.
Time to call it a day. Too many busy bodies and tom tom drums loving this one. Right up their street. It is no good for both parties.
Personally, I have always thought SARA was to forward and in your face with its expectations or requests. Maybe that was just the previous regime? Or indeed it was a great way of doing business. Or maybe it is the way it has to be on a small island with limited resources and massive current economic problems. However as alledged, by insulting and referring to volunteers is somewhat strange indeed from a charity in need. (Always the poet).
Obviously a break down in communications and a failure to agree has occured.
I think the best way forward is. Amicable respect and time, where upon compromise and forgiveness may provail. Which would be great. If not no problem. In the meantime I would suggest putting the laundry in the spin dryer, rather than the washing line and conduct future business approaches with the personal touch and not assume, after all – IT`S GOOD TO TALK.
We have of course published SARA’s comments. We will only ever report upon the facts as received – and not with conjecture.
1. The representative’s response – whatever linguistic excuse – was perceived by a client as insulting to us. This is unacceptable.
2. We have received no email communications from Ellen asking for help as stated – neither originally, or following our request that they be resent. There have been no issues with the receiving of correspondence from Justine and elsewhere. Our site also includes a phone number which is where they would have found the email. This was not used. At no point have we accused or implied that anyone from SARA is lying – we have simply stated a fact.
3. We have received nothing except excuses since voicing our concerns. And the tone in the following 2 emails from Justine, in which we and volunteers are referred to, is frankly insulting and provocative.
All it would have taken to solve this is a simple and unreserved apology, rather than it being lost in derogatory terms and excuses.
Our thoughts are always with the animals at SARA – and as we have already said… we admire the work they do, and fully appreciate everything that is done for the animals there. However, we will not compromise our stand, or forgive a lack of professionalism simply because somebody represents a charity.
Dear Peter and anyone else reading this,
Although very grateful for all the work done by Gandy-Draper in the past, Sara would also like to set the record straight. As Gandy-Draper have been informed, 2 emails were sent to their general email address asking for their help in redirecting the old Sara website to the new one. No response was ever received to these emails and despite forwarding them they say this is not proof they were ever sent (i.e. we are lying or we forged them). Because no response was received, the webmaster contacted someone with a website linked to Sara, completely unaware that this person was a Gandy-Draper client and asked her to redirect her site. When she asked why the webmaster did not contact Gandy-Draper, the webmaster replied in unfortunate English (not being a native speaker) that “they do not cooperate”. At no time at all were Gandy-Draper clients approached, and at no time at all did anyone from Sara make any harmful remarks about their business.
Gandy-Draper, despite being aware of the above and being informed that the only beings they are harming by posting it are the needy animals at the shelter (which as always is underfunded and overcrowded), refuse to retract their statement.
Sara Animal Shelter
I know that, because you are nice people. Rightly so if someone had or was, bad mouthing you or your company. Be it jest, tongue in cheek, heat of the moment, hear say or malice. Hopefully time will see the error of their ways.
We are all far from perfect and when “OFTEN” find myself in that situation. The best thing I find is to apologise when over stepping the mark.
Sara is great for the animals and the island and hopefully sleeping dogs will lye and not lie.
Peter – we had not wanted to state this publicly, and we certainly have no wish to cause any harm to the animals. We were left no choice other than to set the record straight.
Ssdly and hopefully this will not explode to the detrement of the charity cause (the animals).
Hopefully the charity will one day realise the error of its ways and moral sence will provail.
Sadly charities of the world are sooooooo much easy pickings for the free loaders of the world. Who establish themselves as administrators or trustees.
Genuine people help as always with aid, charity, support and fund raising etc. Then get taken for a ride in the process. Either financial or ethical.
Resulting in the aid victims, be it animals or humans losing out.