Community Paintbrush in Action: Greater Anglia Rail & Bagnalls Help Dogs on The Streets
23 July 2025
Bagnalls has a long-standing relationship with Greater Anglia Rail, having proudly delivered their decorative maintenance programme across the station network for more than two years.
To further bolster our relationship, we recently discussed how we could give back to the community through a joint social value project. After various conversations, everyone involved in the project felt that Dogs on The Streets (DOTS) was a worthy cause – and one that we were all passionate about.
Established by Michelle Clark in 2016, DOTS provides much-needed charitable support to dog owners in need, completely free of charge. Michelle previously ran a street outreach programme, tending to the needs of homeless people with dogs. After six years of this programme, she decided to set up DOTS.
Through DOTS, Michelle is able to offer essential care for dogs living on the streets, providing food provisions, new harnesses and leads, as well as dog training and grooming sessions. She even provides a fully equipped mobile veterinary surgery, as well as respite care for dogs whose owners have been forced to leave them.
DOTS initially provided this service exclusively to the homeless, but it has now been expanded to provide care for anyone in a vulnerable situation who may have no support system in place to help care for their much-loved animals. DOTS is presently home to approximately 55 dogs.
DOTS desperately needed work carried out on their dog kennels, so Bagnalls agreed to undertake a redecorating programme. However, during our initial visit to the site with Greater Anglia Rail, we realised that some urgent refurbishment was also required.
DOTS needed – and deserved – a full bathroom and kitchen replacement, re-roofing works for the grooming room, replacement of rotten and falling-down fencing, and an update to some of the electrics.
Greater Anglia Rail reached out to other trusted contractors within their network to help carry out the expanded programme of works, and the additional support needed was provided by some amazing companies.
Capel C. S. Ltd. fitted a new bathroom and kitchen, while all electrics were made safe by TNS Electrical Contractors Ltd. Roofing works were completed by TPSS Limited and fencing was made good by Braybrook Ltd.
The Bagnalls team also reached out to our own supply chain, and Dulux stepped up to provide all the paint supplies and materials needed for the project, at no extra cost.
Bagnalls deployed two painters to the site to prepare all areas for work by way of filling and carrying out basic pre-paint repairs. Once all preparatory works were complete, a volunteer team from Bagnalls and Greater Anglia Rail arrived on site. It was an all-hands-on-deck, DIY SOS situation!
DOTS provided a wonderful breakfast and lunch for the team, and the atmosphere throughout the project was heartwarming, with everyone stopping work now and again to fuss the beautiful dogs.
The volunteer team is very pleased with the final outcome of the project – and so is DOTS! The DOTS team praised all involved, saying:
“You have made such a huge difference to the charity, our team and the dogs. Thank you so, so much. We will be singing everyone’s company names from the rooftops!”
We loved getting involved with such a worthy project, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for further opportunities in the future.
Discover more Community Paintbrush projects from Bagnalls.