Clacton’s MP invited council representatives to celebrate its success at the national animal welfare awards. 

Giles Watling welcomed Matthew Wicks and Tim Clarke, representatives of Tendring Council, to parliament to recognise their success in this year’s PawPrint awards. 

The awards are set up by the RSPCA and recognise best practices and going above and beyond to provide animal welfare by organisations across the country. 

Tendring Council managed to be nominated for the 2023 awards and scooped a silver qualification for its outstanding commitment to animal housing. 

Lee Gingell, public affairs manager for local government at the RSPCA, said: “Often this pioneering work is done quietly behind the scenes and remains unsung, but they really deserve to be applauded for changing the lives of not only animals but local people too.  

“PawPrints is all about recognising and celebrating these efforts.” 

In honour of the achievement and to mark the occasion, Mr Watling invited Mr Wicks and Mr Clarke in person to parliament and congratulated them in person for the work, which has been now nationally recognised. 

Mr Watling said: “It’s fantastic to see a local success story on such an important topic. We are a nation of animal lovers, and I am pleased that Tendring is doing exemplary work to ensure that the animals in their care are suitably accommodated and looked after.  

“As chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, this achievement for Tendring makes me particularly proud to know that my own patch is doing everything it can to ensure a quality of life for animals.”