Islander Jamie Hindson has donated to 2 local charities this month – Ability Dogs 4 Young People and Isle of Wight Cats Protection – as part of his ongoing monthly giving initiative.
Jamie, 35, is a SEN teaching assistant, community respite carer, activity coordinator at a children’s home and a local DJ. Throughout 2025, he has committed to donating £100 each month to Isle of Wight-based causes that support wellbeing, mental health and community care.
For December, Jamie decided to donate to 2 charities instead of 1, citing the festive season and the impact animals have on people’s lives.
Jamie has said:
“I wanted to do two charities this month as it’s the season of goodwill. Animals play such a huge role in our lives – they help with loneliness, mental health, and supporting disabilities such as trauma, blindness and deafness. Animals are just wonderful.”
His first stop was IW Ability Dogs 4 YP in Sandown, where he met Carol and one of the dogs, CoCo. Jamie was shown how the charity trains specially selected puppies, usually Labradors, through a network of volunteer puppy parents. At around 18 months, the dogs undergo formal training before being matched with a young person up to age 30. They then support their new owners in day-to-day life, education and work environments.
Jamie highlighted the mental health benefits these dogs offer to children and adults with disabilities living on the Isle of Wight.
His second donation went to Isle of Wight Cats Protection in Ryde, where he was welcomed by Wendy and the team. Jamie was given a tour of the centre, which includes a reception area, charity shop, welcome space for new arrivals, and a garden for the cats. The charity supports the health and rehoming of cats locally and from the mainland, including providing full veterinary support for adopted animals.
Jamie has said:
“Cats and kittens are also great for improving people’s mental health and easing loneliness. Cats Protection offers brilliant support, and they make sure every cat is cared for before being placed with a new family.”
Jamie’s past fundraising efforts include a 2009 sponsored silence, YMCA rough sleeping challenge in 2013, abseiling the UK’s highest waterfall in 2016, and a solo half marathon in 2021, raising £1,000 for local mental health support during the pandemic.
In December 2024, he also donated £120 to the Isle of Wight’s NHS children’s ward to support young patients spending Christmas in hospital.
His monthly donations for 2025 so far include:
- January: Mountbatten Hospice, Newport
- February: Better Days Café, Ventnor
- March: Care in the Garden, Wootton
- April: Daisy Chains, Isle of Wight
- May: The Holt, Newport
- June: The Way Forward, Newport
- July: Haylands Farm, Ryde
- August: MenOnlyIW, Ryde
- September: The Phoenix Project, Ryde
- October: Bodster, Shanklin
- November: People Matter IW, Newport
- December: Ability Dogs 4 YP, Sandown and Cats Protection, Ryde
To find out more about the charities, visit: www.abilitydogs4yp.org.uk and www.cats.org.uk/isleofwight
Well done Jamie. Happy New Year to you.
Hmmmm… Practise what you preach, young Jamie.