Paws for Progress: Recovery to work & wellbeing

Aim

We’re changing lives - giving people in recovery from addiction the tools to rebuild their lives with essential work and financial skills.

Paws & Pause: More Than a Dog Daycare

Paws & Pause is a South London dog daycare and social enterprise. For 6 years, we’ve helped people overcoming mental ill-health and addiction return to the workforce through our 9-month work experience programmes.

81% of people we supported in 2025 stepped straight into work or further education!

Why we’re crowdfunding

Demand for our services has surged by 200% in the last year.

We provide a supportive, real-work environment where people can rebuild their confidence, gain skills, and take steps towards employment.

However, demand for our programme has grown rapidly, with a 200% increase in referrals from local services! 

We're crowdfunding now to ensure we can meet that need, and will be able to continue to offer our social impact programme to even more people in the next 12 months.

Why this matters now

In 2025, we achieved:

• 6,300+ hours of supported placements delivered.
• 15 jobs started last year (including 2 graduates now in Senior Leadership).
• 98% of participants reporting a stronger sense of belonging.
• 90% reporting increased confidence.

This is life-changing impact, but without funding for 2026, we simply cannot continue to grow this work.

Crucially, 98% of our participants are on benefits. For many, this programme is a rare bridge back into confidence and a huge step into financial independence.

What do the current programmes look like?

Throughout their time spent with us, programme attendees work for 2 days per week within our daycare alongside our team to gain real life, hands on experience within a team and a functional working environment.  

During this time, they are supported by weekly wellbeing and skills workshops covering a range of topics, including:

• Interview skills
• CV writing
• Personal wellbeing
• Soft and hard skills needed for work
• Giving feedback
• Planning and executing a project

Proven employment outcomes

Having now reached a point where our programme has proven to get people into sustainable employment - with 15 jobs started in the last year (4 of them at Paws & Pause!) and 2 ex-programme graduates now being in management and senior leadership positions within our organisation.

What will we do with the funding?

Once our funding secured, Ula will teach a new set of workshops, offered to both current and graduated trainees (something we haven't done before). This set of workshops will be called ‘Paws, Plan, Progress & Prosper’ - a concept centred around the following steps to financial independence:

‘Paws’

Taking stock, awareness and accountability of where your money is going. Identifying emotional spending triggers, habits and risks.

‘Plan’

This segment will encourage the group to work with budgets, learn how to prioritise their spending and work within a ‘needs’ & ‘wants’ framework.

‘Progress’

Setting realistic financial goals, whether it be related to saving, moving out of debt or consistent monthly financial management.

‘Prosper’

Here we will look at long term financial planning and wellbeing, helping the attendees to use their learned skills to create a plan to reach and maintain their ideal financial future.

What this funding will make possible

This money will allow us to continue our work with fully funded placements, remove financial barriers to participation, and introduce targeted financial wellbeing support such as budgeting, planning, and employment readiness workshops - which is more important than ever in the current climate.

The impact of your support

By supporting this project, you’re helping people move from financial hardship and isolation towards independence, stability, and a more secure future.

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Get involved in our May Movement Mission!

Help us support peoples mental and financial health - by improving your physical health. We're offering fitness class rewards for donations of a certain amount, which can be booked below!

2. Simply make a donation

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too. Every donation will be matchfunded by Aviva - Doubling the amount of your original donation!

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made