Piper

Today was a good day, walks with doggie mamas, a bike ride with a school friend, and a swim with a Piper friend!

Do you want to get out and about a bit more? Or do you want to try a new sport or do a bit more of what you already enjoy? If you don’t have a friend who’s free when you are or who’s not into the same things, sign up to Piper - THE place to find an active buddy!

Our match technology will find like minded people in your area to do fun stuff with. From cycling to running, walking to climbing or tennis to kayaking find a buddy on

www.imwithpiper.com

Well hellooooo and Happy Friday!

It’s finally the weekend, and I’m a little dazed after my first week back at work following our holiday. Being stuck behind a computer screen for 10 hours a day is a bit of a shock to the system, when you’ve spent the previous fortnight out in the fresh air! So I’m really looking forward to getting out and about this weekend - it looks like we’re going to have some decent weather too!😎☀️😎☀️

This Sunday we’ll be back on the bikes, 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️so if you’ve been hunkering up indoors trying to ignore the fact it’s raining again, why not join us?

Sign up to Piper and join our FB members page for more details.

I haven’t been swimming this week after all, due to conflicting commitments, but things should be back on an even keel next week. Either Wed at 7pm or Friday around 5:30pm. If that’s something you’re interested in let me know by commenting here.

I hope to see some of you on Sunday, but in the meantime have fun and don’t forget to take lots of photos when you’re out and about! We want to see them on our FB and Insta pages.

Enjoy your weekend!

www.imwithpiper.com

Well hellooooo, and Happy Friday!

It's finally the weekend, and I'm a little dazed after my first week back at work following our holiday. Being stuck behind a computer screen for 10 hours a day is a bit of a shock to the system, when you've spent the previous fortnight out in the fresh air! So I'm really looking forward to getting out and about this weekend - it looks like we're going to have some decent weather too!😎☀️😎☀️

This Sunday we'll be back on the bikes, 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️so if you've been hunkering up indoors trying to ignore the fact it's raining again, why not join us? Sign up to Piper and join our FB Members page for more details.

Enjoy your weekend!

Catherine X

Well hellooooo, and Happy Friday! How's your week been, and have you managed to get out in the lovely sunshine at all? If not, come and join us on Sunday's bike ride, sunshine guaranteed or your money back!! (I can say that, as all our activities are absolutely free 😁 !!)

We had a great time last weekend, taking a lovely new route to Brighton Marina, so I'm really looking forward to getting out again this Sunday. Check out our FB members page for details.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/770718934571543

Expect to be out for around 3 hours, with a break for cake / a toastie. And I still have a spare e-bike if anybody wants to borrow it, let me know. First come first served... (Note to self, must get round to selling it!!)

As a reminder I'll also be starting after work swims in July, either at around 5:00pm Friday or 7:00pm Wednesday, depending on the weather that week. As I'll be on holiday at the start of the month, this will be from the week starting Mon 22nd July. I’ll be reviewing the poo report before-hand too, to make sure there haven’t been any recent discharges into the sea. If that's something you'd be interested in let me know on the FB members page.

I hope to see some of you on Sunday, but in the meantime have fun and don't forget to take lots of photos when you're out and about! We want to see them on our FB and Insta pages!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Catherine X

Well hellooooo, it's Friday!!!? Have you had a good week? Did you manage to get out and about? And if not why not come and join us on our Sunday bike ride?!

We had a lovely time last Sunday, so I'm looking forward to getting out on the bike again this Sunday too! We'll be meeting outside Fly Sussex on the A27 check out the member's page https://www.facebook.com/groups/770718934571543 for more details. And I have a spare e-bike if anybody wants to borrow it, let me know. First come first served!

As a reminder, I'm also looking a bit further ahead to another walk. I have a few routes in mind, around the 10 km mark, so about 2 - 2.5 hours depending on whether we potter or march! I'll send out more details nearer the time, but for the moment keep Saturday 22nd June free if you want to come along!

I'll also be starting post work swims in July, either at around 5:00pm Friday or 7:00pm Wednesday, so if that's something you'd be interested in let me know, by replying to this post.

I hope to see some of you on Sunday, but in the meantime have fun and don't forget to take lots of photos when you're out and about! We want to see them on our FB and Insta pages!

Happy Friday!

Catherine X

Home Meet Friends Online. Adventure Offline. Use your Piper profile to find people in your area who love to get out in nature. Then log off to go hiking, canoeing, play tennis or whatever else floats your boat. Join PiperLog In Why use Piper? Meet new people, easily Get out and about Try something new Do

Hello hello, have you had a lovely week? And do you have any plans for the weekend? If not why not join the Piper bike ride this Sunday?

Despite feeling distinctly Autumnal today, the Met Office assures me that it'll be Sunny Sunday, so I'm looking forward to getting out on the bike for the first time in a couple of weeks. The meeting place has been posted on the FB member's page, so if you fancy joining the fun, sign up to Piper at www.imwithpiper.com, then join the member's page for more info on this and other meets. And I have a spare e-bike if anybody wants to borrow it, let me know. First come first served!

I'm also looking a bit further ahead to another walk. I have a few routes in mind, around the 10 km mark, so about 2.5 hours depending on whether we potter or march! I'll send out more details nearer the time, but for the moment keep Saturday 22nd June free if you want to come along!

I'll also be starting post work sea swims in July, either at around 5:00pm Friday or 7;00pm Wednesday, so if that's something you'd be interested in let me know, by typing "swim" in the comments.

I hope to see some of you on Sunday, but in the meantime have fun and don't forget to take lots of photos when you're out and about! We want to see them on our FB and Insta pages .

Happy Friday!

Love this!

🇬🇧 This Valentine's Day, we're joining the 'Neuter Your Ex' campaign!

How does it work? It’s simple! Pay to neuter a street cat, and we’ll name the cat after your ex! It’s a claws-out way to show that you're moving on! For £38 for a male or £48 for a female, you can give a feline friend a new lease on life and stick it to your past relationships at the same time!

If you’d like to get involved, donations can be made via the link below!

https://streetheartsbg.com/how-you-can-help-dogs-in-bulgaria/donations-to-help-street-dogs-in-bulgaria.html

- -

🇧🇬 На този Свети Валентин се присъединяваме към кампанията "Кастрирайте Бившия Си"!

Как работи това? Много е просто! Дарете пари за кастрацията на улична котка и ние ще я кръстим на бившия ви! Това е страхотен начин да покажете, че продължавате напред! Срещу 90лв. за мъжка и 110лв. за женска, можете да дадете нов живот на вашите котешки приятели и да ги назовете на някой от вашите бивши!

Ако искате да се включите, можете да дарите чрез долния линк!

https://streetheartsbg.com/how-you-can-help-dogs-in-bulgaria/donations-to-help-street-dogs-in-bulgaria.html

Hello hello and a Happy New Year to you all!

Well, the weather’s been hideous recently, so I’ve been concentrating on updating my winter swimming blog to include even more hints, tips and safety advice.

I’m conscious of the fact that many people will be trying to get fit and healthy after the excesses of the festive season. 🥂🎄🥂🎄

But before you think “I’ll kick off the New Year with a cold dip”, if you’ve not ventured into the water since the summer - or even longer - I wouldn’t recommend you start now.

The current water temperature can have a severe impact on the uninitiated, so here are a few things you’ll need to consider before taking the plunge in the winter. 🥶🏊‍♀️🥶🏊‍♀️

What to wear: 

Whilst some people brave the winter waves clad in nothing more than a bikini or pair of budgie smugglers, for your first winter cold water swim, it might be wise to don something warmer! 

I wear a wetsuit in winter, as well as Neoprene boots and gloves, and a swimming cap. 

What to consider in the water:

If you’re not used to regularly swimming in cold water, make sure you understand the potential impacts lower temperatures can have on your body, such as cold shock, cold incapacitation and after drop.

All are preventable so it’s best to understand them before taking the plunge. Read about them in my new winter swimming blog! Details below👇👇👇

When getting dressed, forget fiddly clasps and restricting clothes, go for loose tops and jogging bottoms, layered over thermals, and ditch the bra!

There’s much more to consider before attempting to swim in the winter, such as how long to stay in and to warm up effectively, so head over to my blog for more info.

www.imwithpiper.com/winter_sea-swimming

And as the blog isn’t behind a members only firewall, pass the link on to any friends who are interested in winter swimming!

Stay safe and have a very Happy New Year!

🇬🇧 As the sun sets on 2023, we're filled with gratitude for another incredible year here at Street Hearts BG! We're thrilled to share a few of our 2023 achievements with you:

🏠 We found furever homes for 124 dogs.

🐕 We improved our adoption process, leading to an even higher adoption success rate.

🐾 We neutered / spayed 215 dogs and 60 cats.

🐶 We neutered / spayed 76 owned dogs through our free neutering campaign.

🎉 We celebrated our 8th anniversary!

👩 ‍Lauren (Shelter Manager) achieved certification as an IMDT dog trainer, enhancing our commitment to quality care and training.

📚 We shared our passion for animal welfare with local schools and the community, fostering a culture of compassion.

💰 The Marchig Animal Welfare Trust provided us with a generous grant of 8,000 euros.

🛠 We made further improvements to our shelter, including replacing the rickety stairs next to the Ark (thanks to you lovely bunch!) and building a new storage warehouse, as well as creating a sanctuary space, agility area, and enrichment pen for the dogs.

None of this would be possible without our incredible team, volunteers, superstar fundraisers, and, of course, YOU - our wonderful supporters! Thank you for keeping Street Hearts BG going strong, allowing us to continue making a difference in the lives of animals in need.

Cheers to the successes of 2023 - and here's to an even better and brighter 2024!

--

🇧🇬 В залеза на 2023 сме изпълнени с благодарност за още една невероятна година в Улични Сърца БГ! Развълнувани сме да споделим с вас някои от постиженията ни през изминаващата година:

🏠 Намерихме нови домове на 124 кучета.

🐕 Усъвършенствахме процеса си за осиновяване, което увеличи и броя на успешните осиновявания.

🐾 Кастрирахме 215 кучета и 60 котки.

🐶 76 кучета на частни собственици се възползваха от нашата програма за безплатни кастрации.

🎉 Отпразнувахме седмата си годишнина!

👩 Нашият мениджър, Лорън, взе сертификат за професионален треньор на кучета, подобрявайки отдаденоста ни към добрите грижи и обучение.

📚 Споделихме страста си за благоденствието на животните с децата от местните училища и детски градини, засаждайки в тях чувството на състрадание.

💰 Спечелихме проект от Marching Animal Welfare Trust на стойност 8 000 евро.

🛠 Направихме много подобрения в приюта, като част от тях са: подмяна на изгнилите стълби към студиото (благодарение на вашите дарения!), построяването на нов склад, създаване на специално място за нашите постоянни жители, място за упражнения в ловкост и заграждение за различни игри за кученцата.

Нищо от това нямаше да е възможно без помощта на нашия невероятен екип, доброволци, страхотните хора, които събираха средства за нас и разбира се, ВИЕ- нашите чудесни подръжници! Благодарим ви, че подкрепяте Улични Сърца БГ във всяко начинание, позволявайки ни да продължаваме да променяме съдбите на нуждаещите се животни.

Наздраве за успехите през 2023 и нека си пожелаем една още по- добра и светла 2024 година!

Hello hello, Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed the wonderful weekend! I managed a bike ride and a swim, although in the wrong order. It turned out to be a two shower day!!

If you want to take advantage of this wonderful Indian summer we’re having, there’ll be a Piper swim at tide mills on Wednesday.

If you’re interested, please let me know as there’s a chance I may postpone if there are no takers.

I’m also looking at a Piper paddle, possibly tomorrow, so let me know if this sounds interesting! Location will be somewhere around the Cuckmere, Southease or Lewes areas.

Will also be having our usual Friday bike ride on (yes, you guessed it) Friday! Time and meeting place to be confirmed, so keep an eye out for details.

Hello all, due to the latest poo report, there will no longer be a swim at Tidemills. 🤬🤬🤬I may head towards Brighton for a dip instead, so if you are interested let me know!!

If you’re considering getting a dog, please adopt don’t shop.

🇬🇧 A desperate plea from Emma and Anthony.

In the past eight years, we've rehomed over 1,500 dogs and sterilised 3,500, yet there is still a problem. At this time of year, every year, people move from their village homes back to the cities for winter and leave their dogs behind. Responsible people call us, many irresponsible people just throw their dogs onto the streets, often not sterilised and without microchips. At the moment, there is a complete lack of law enforcement with microchipping and registering dogs. Until there is a solid central government who takes this problem seriously, it's an ongoing problem. Dogs are taken for the summer to guard gardens and then discarded like rubbish. This is the reality for many innocent dogs in Bulgaria.

In Dryanovo municipality, we are heading towards a crisis point. There are many villages with abandoned dogs, and we need your help. Our shelter is full and we've seen a huge reduction in adoption enquiries. We have an adoption trip planned in three weeks, yet only eleven dogs are reserved. Our vans are licensed to transport twenty dogs. This is a huge problem for all of the dogs who so desperately need a place in our shelter.

If you are in Bulgaria, please consider adopting a dog and giving it a good home. If you have abandoned dogs in your village, please contact Dr Dimitrov to arrange for them to be spayed / neutered in order to prevent more unwanted puppies. We are a very small team and have two large towns with over 200 villages to cover. We simply can't be everywhere.

If there are abandoned dogs in your village, please feed them. It is not the dog’s fault that someone has been irresponsible and thrown them there. Please also send a signal to the municipality, as the more they are aware of the problems in villages, the better. If a dog is poisoned or shot (which, sadly, we see a lot), please report it to the police.

Finally, please share our social media page. One share could result in a dog being adopted, which means that we can give a shelter space to a dog in need.

Thank you.

(This photo is of a female dog who has recently been abandoned in Gostilitsa. She is one of eight new dogs who have been left there).

--

🇧🇬 Отчаяна молба от Ема и Антъни.

През последните осем години сме намерили нови домове на над 1500 кучета и кастрирали 3500. Въпреки това, проблемът с бездомните животни е все още на лице. По това време на годината, много хора напускат къщите си в селата, завръщайки се в градовете за зимата и изоставят кучетата си. По- отговорните от тях се свързват с нас, но много безотговорни собственици просто ги оставят на улицата, често без те да са кастрирани и чипирани. Към момента законът за задължително чипиране и регистриране на домашните животни изобщо не се прилага. Докато не се появи стабилно правителство, което да вземе този проблем на сериозно, той няма да се разреши. Кучета биват масово вземани за през лятото да пазят селските къщи и после изхвърляни като боклук. За съжаление това е реалността за много невинни животни в България.

Проблемът в община Дряново достига до своята кризисна точка. В много от селата има изоставени кучета и спешно се нуждаем от вашата помощ. Приютът е пълен, а осиновяванията драстично намаляха. Бусът с осиновени кучета трябва да замине за Англия след 3 седмици, но към момента броят им е само 11, докато лицензът ни е за 20. Това е огромен проблем, тъй като липсата на домове не ни позволява да вземем кучета от улицата, които отчаяно се нуждаят от място в приюта.

Ако живеете в България, молим ви да обмислите идеята да осиновите куче от нас и да му дадете щастливия живот, който заслужава. Ако има изоставени кучета във вашето село, молим ви да запишете час при доктор Димитров и поне ни помогнете, като ги заведете да бъдат кастрирани и така да предотвратим раждането на повече нежелани кученца. Екипът ни е много малък, а трябва да покрием два града с над 200 села. Просто няма как да бъдем навсякъде.

Молим ви и да храните бездомните кучета във вашето село. Не е тяхна вината, че някой е бил безотговорен и ги е изхвърлил на улицата. Призоваваме и да подавате сигнали към общината, за да бъдат и те запознати с проблема с бездомните животни по селата. Ако попаднете на отровено или простреляно куче (което за съжаление често виждаме), обадете се в полицията.

И не на последно място, молим ви да споделяте нашите постове. Едно споделяне може да помогне на някое кученце да намери своя дом и освободи място за друго в нужда.

Благодарим Ви!

Hello hello, it's going to be a scorcher today, so why not join the Piper swim later this afternoon.l? Join the Piper FB members page for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/770718934571543

Do you want to go kayaking or paddle boarding, but are unsure how to stay safe? We're going to have great conditions over the next couple of days for open water adventures, so make sure you read my latest blog and put safety first!
🚣‍♀️🌞🌊🚣🌞🌊

Imwithpiper.com/paddling-safely/

Hello , I hope you all had a fab weekend. We were away on the van, and had a great time, out on the bikes and out for good food!

A quick run down of what's on this week for Sussex based members.

On Wednesday there'll be a sea swim at Tide Mills, and on Friday morning we'll have our usual Friday bike ride. Meeting point TBC, but it will either be in the centre of Lewes or at Fly Sussex just outside Lewes on the A27.

If you're a Piper member, join the members FB page for more details, and if you're not, join Piper and then the Piper FB members page!!😄😄

A special thank you for making today’s bike ride so lovely Jonathan and Claire! Good teamwork, goals crushed, and fabulous runner beans for tomorrow’s supper! Looking forward to the next one.

Do you want to improve your swimming skills, feel a little out of practice, or want to feel more confident in the sea? If so the excellent Brighton based Salty Seabirds are running courses throughout August. Check out their FB page for more details. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1428502797269726.

Hello hello . A quick run-down of what's going on this week...

The Friday bike ride won't in fact be on Friday this week but on Wednesday (I like to keep everybody on their toes 😁😁). Meet at 10:30, location TBC, but it will either be outside Fly Sussex or in Lewes.

Then on Thursday I'm hoping for good conditions in the water for a sea-swim at 6pm. Meeting at Tide-Mills, at the car park nearest the road.

Updates will be posted on the FB members page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/770718934571543

If you're not already a member of Piper, join here👇👇👇

www.imwithpiper.com

Hello all, having just received an alert from the excellent Surfers Against Sewage app, I’m going to have to call off tomorrow’s swim at Tide Mills. As you can see from the screenshot, there were a couple of sewage discharges at Seaford this morning, and with today’s rain there could be more. If this makes you as mad as it makes me, write to your local MP. Follow the link here 👇👇👇👇

https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/our-water-quality-campaigns/take-action/

Do you want to make new friends and get out a bit more? If so join Piper, a social networking website for folks who want to enjoy more fun stuff and meet new people. This week’s activities are now up on the Piper FB members page. We have a movie night on Tuesday (Oppenheimer), sea swim on Thursday evening and bike ride on Friday! Sign up to Piper (link in Bio) and then join our members page for more info!

Yes it’s raining, yes we still went for a walk, and yes we enjoyed it! Did you know that if you make a plan to do something with a friend, you’re much more likely to get up off that sofa!

So if you want someone to hold you to account, sign up to Piper and find your wet weather buddy.

🌧️🥾🌧️🥾👇👇👇

www.imwithpiper.com

Hello hello! After today’s rain it looks like we might finally get some sun in the morning, which is great news for our Friday Bike Ride! Head over to the members page for more info…

Do you hunker down when it’s raining and avoid going outdoors? Well, what if I said being outside when it’s wet and wild is good for you?! Find out more in my blog 👉👉👉 https://imwithpiper.com/getting_wet_and_dirty/.

Hello all, unfortunately due to the recent sewage discharge at Seaford, todays’ sea swim at Tide Mills will be cancelled. 💩💩💩

If this makes you as mad as it makes me, content your local MP by using the link below 👇👇👇

Demand your MP pipes up We are sick of sewage and think it's high time our elected representatives took action to stop the rivers of s**t pouring into our precious blue spaces.

Hello hello , Happy Monday! Here's a quick run-down of what's on this week in the Sussex area...

- Sea swim will be on Wednesday at Tidemills.
- The weekly bike ride will be on Friday

Details for these events are on the Piper Member's Group here 👇👇👇

https://www.facebook.com/groups/770718934571543

And if you want to set up your own events - that's the place to do it!

Don’t forget we have a Sussex based bike ride tomorrow! Meet outside Fly Sussex on the A27 near Lewes at 10:30 am, we’ll leave about 10 mins later. E-bikes and mountain bikes welcome, nobody will get left behind! Expect 2-3 hours of beautiful views and great routes, with a break for coffee and cake / toasties / focaccia. See you there! 🚴‍♀️😃🚴‍♀️😃🚴‍♀️

Hello all, the weather's looking a bit soggy tomorrow, so it's likely I'll cancel the bike ride. That said, the forecast has changed in a couple of times today already, so I'll confirm first thing in the morning. If we do go ahead, check the member pages for meet time and place.

Hello hello and Happy Tuesday! Did you all have a wonderful weekend, or does it all feel to far away already?! Let me know below what you got up to, and the more photos the better!

A quick rundown on what’s happening in the Brighton / Lewes / Eastbourne area this week:

Thursday evening swim will be at Tidemills, and we will be having the usual Friday bike ride, taking it a pit stop for lunch / coffe and cake. Sign up to Piper and find more details on the Piper Members page!