Gabriela joins the charity shop team ...
26 August 2017
The fresh friendly face at the North Birmingham Cats Protection shop belongs to the ‘animal-crazy’ Gabriela Chalkia, who is 23 and was appointed Assistant Manager early in August. And she comes well-qualified, having studied animal law in Barcelona and benefiting from retail and CP charity shop experience locally in Aldridge.
She and her younger sister Alina completed their education at Brownhills Comprehensive and the West Midlands is now ‘definitely home’.
Gabriela was born in Greece, and came to England in 2015 with her human family as well as her rescue pets – Fred, Holly, Berry and Beau. They all like it over here – family and pets - especially as Gabriela’s Grandma Joan is the coordinator of the Aldridge branch of Cats Protection. Mum Julia set up an animal rescue called ‘The Ark’ in Corfu to help stray animals, which is still going today but ‘struggling like so many animal charities abroad’. So the love of cats and all animals is ‘in the genes’.
Says Gabriela, now known as Bella for short to the volunteers: “I’m thrilled to have this job, to work alongside Anita and all the dedicated volunteers, and help raise money for needy cats and kittens in North Birmingham. We all get on so well – well, let’s just say it’s the purrfect role for me!”