It was smiles all round this Friday morning at RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter. The good people at Devon based company dryrobe® have generously donated a dozen brand new waterproof, fleece lined, hooded jackets for our animal care assistants to wear while out in the cold field exercising the dogs.
These dryrobes are perfect for our dog team who are out walking and training dogs in all weathers throughout the winter months. Come rain or snow, our dedicated team are out there making sure the animals in our care are given plenty of exercise and training so that they can be rehomed safely. These jackets will keep them warm and dry which makes their life much easier. As you can see, they are already being put to good use by Millie who was one of the first to take the jacket for a field test with Shar Pei’s Dylan and Darcy.
“I can’t believe how warm they are! They make such a difference covering your whole body. It’s like wearing a toasty blanket but we can still move around freely and there’s also lots of pockets for things like poo bags, treats and spare leads. They are fab! We are so lucky to have these and to be given 12 of them is amazing. It means the whole team can use them, including our volunteers and even our visitors. They are just perfect and so well made too.” Says Millie.
dryrobe was designed by Gideon Bright – a UK based surfer with over 30 years experience in the water.
The first dryrobe was based on an idea Gideon’s mum had when he was a teenager. Surfing all year round, Gideon found that getting changed outside in the cold winter was not fun! Handy with a sewing machine, his mum decided to create something to make getting changed outdoors more comfortable. This change robe was like a huge cape with waterproof material on the outside, a towel lining and a hood. After initially being quite dismissive of it, the cape soon became an essential piece of kit whenever Gideon and his friends went surfing.
Gideon always had the old waterproof and windproof ‘robe’ idea in the back of his mind but didn’t really think to develop it. It took one freezing cold winter’s day years later, stood in a car park, in the rain with a soggy towel robe on, for him to decide to make something better.
Initially setting himself up in his garden shed and after working on several designs and experimenting with different materials, Gideon developed a front zipping change robe, that combined both a warm, advanced towel lining with a waterproof and windproof protective outer layer. The first-ever ‘dryrobe’ was sold online in December 2010.
The dryrobe has received high praise since its launch and has become a very familiar sight on both beaches and on the backs of elite athletes all over the world. It has now become an essential companion not just for surfers but for swimmers, triathletes, obstacle course racers and virtually all outdoor sports have embraced the benefits of staying warm while changing outdoors, after events or just hanging about outdoors.
dryrobes can often be seen being worn by sports stars and celebrities at events. dryrobe have also partnered with some of the world’s biggest brands and teams to supply them with kit; including Red Bull, GoPro, Ross Edgley’s Great British Swim, Sport Relief and Team GB at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Little Valley are just one of the charities that have been helped by dryrobe® and for every item ordered they donate £1 to the RNLI.
Hugh Lowson, Little Valley’s CEO said, “We are really thrilled to be the recipients of such a generous and thoughtful gift from Gideon and the team at dryrobe. Our staff work so hard outside all day and with the cold and wet weather we are having, they are are a godsend. Temperatures down here in the valley are usually a few degrees lower than the average so keeping our staff warm is really important. I’m really happy to see the ACA’s putting them to good use already.”
If you would like to get your hands on your very own dryrobe please follow this link https://dryrobe.com/
RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter
Black Hat Lane
Bakers Hill
Exeter, EX2 9TA
