Animal volunteer roles

Our Programming volunteers provide a warm welcome to everybody as part of the programming on property, making sure our visitors get the most from their experience with us. 

 This role will suit you if you are:

• Someone who loves meeting people and being part of a team
• Looking for new experiences
• Wanting to utilise your communication skills or develop them further
• Someone who enjoys a busy environment
• Flexible with what you can support with, there will be a rota you can pick and choose the events and activites you wish to get involved in
• Cheerful – even when last minute changes including the weather affect proceedings

By getting involved you could:

• Help support activities across the property
• Support ticketing, guiding, ushering and hosting events with external partners
• Enjoy some of our events 1st hand from a seat in the wings
• Become part of a friendly and dedicated team
• Enjoy new experiences and learn something new every day
• Build your confidence and experience
• See first-hand the rewarding results of helping visitors have a great time
• Share your enthusiasm and passion for what we do 

You’d also be joining Europe’s largest conservation charity and the wider National Trust team proudly looking after 780 miles of coastline, over 250,000 hectares of land, over 500 historic houses, castles, ancient monuments, gardens, parks and nature reserves (including lighthouses, villages, pubs and a gold mine!). We are a unique charity welcoming millions of people each year and with a vision to open up places for the benefit of everyone, for ever.All National Trust volunteers will be asked to

• Respect and uphold the National Trust values whilst volunteering with us.
• Complete training required of all NT volunteers and any role specific training
• Adhere to relevant policies and processes including safeguarding, health and safety, and equality and diversity. 

 We want all our volunteers to feel welcome and to have an equally positive experience when volunteering with us. So, volunteers will:

• Be provided with the necessary induction, training, equipment and reasonable adjustments to do this role well and safely
• Be offered expenses to cover agreed travel costs between home and place of volunteering.
• Have remote access to support, news and rotas via our volunteer website

Tasks and responsibilities

• Providing a warm, welcoming and friendly approach to all of our visitors to our events and activities
• Supporting our visitors by providing them with information and guidance so they get the most from their time with us during the event
• Supporting visitors at several points throughout their experience
• Being ‘in the know’ at events and during activities to best help our supporters enjoy it in the way best suited to them
• Support accessibity needs during events to help ensure all visitors are feel included and welcome
• Responding to situations to ensure we always provide a great experience for people – and often spotting issues before they happen!
• There will be plenty of opportunities to do the little things that make a big difference to someone’s experience at Ickworth
• Helping things run as smoothly and safely as possible – this includes getting to know health and safety and evacuation procedures.
• Being part of a team that may need to adapt and change in response to local needs, National Trust priorities or changes to government guidelines

Skills acquired: Adaptability, Advice & Guidance, Communication Skills, Community Development, Crafts, Customer Service, Event Support, Fundraising, General Education, General Play and Recreation, Guiding, Interpersonal Skills, Music Arts, Public Relations, Teamwork, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, Youth Activities Management

Community researchers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park ensure our community-owned park is inclusive and welcoming for all.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for community researchers specialised to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on on a listening project to ensure often underrepresented voices in conservation and environmental projects are heard and centred. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Inclusivity Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While your experienced research skills are crucial, we also value your ability to engage with the community and build partnerships. Experience in conducting community-based research or working with community organisations is important. A strong understanding of community dynamics and the ability to collaborate effectively will be invaluable in ensuring your research findings are relevant and impactful. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your research expertise will be vital in shaping our new biodiverse park. By conducting listening research on community needs, and potential park uses, you'll help us create a sustainable and inclusive space. Your findings will inform our design, programming, and outreach efforts, ensuring the park meets the needs of our community and contributes to biodiversity conservation.

East London Waterworks Park is looking for comms strategists and PR managers to help grow East London Waterworks Park's audiences.

East London Waterworks Park is a charity that has raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for communications strategists and PR to participate in our community-led working group who are promoting public awareness and support of the project. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across communications, content creation, social media, PR, newsletters, film, podcasts or any other channels of interest, and facilitate the direction of the working group.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

You should be experienced in implementing effective strategic communications, managing media relations and social media platforms by creating engaging content, and building online communities. Strong writing and editing skills for various materials including press releases and social media posts. Comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your strategic communication will be instrumental in fostering a strong connection between our community, the park, and its biodiversity. Your input will help us craft compelling narratives that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

A bit about this role

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between!
 

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You'll be

• help set up and/or man stalls at events
• help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections
• help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances
• promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we receive numerous enquiries on a daily basis from members of the public related to cats and their welfare. Our enquiries volunteers are part of a passionate team of volunteers that help Cats Protection signpost and manage these enquiries. They help our cats by answering questions from members of the public, providing advice and signposting queries to other volunteers and employees if needed.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

A bit more information about this role and the team

This role will be focused on triaging phone calls received by the branch and passing it on to the relevant volunteers within the team.

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Responding to enquiries from members of the public 
• Communicating with others and providing information in response to queries
• Signposting queries and requests to other team members

A bit about this role

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between!
 

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You'll be

• help set up and/or man stalls at events
• help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections
• help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances
• promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events. These events will be based in and around the South Wirral/Chester area.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to our dedicated and passionate volunteer groups. We have branches across the UK, all of which help our cats in different ways. Branches take in stray and abandoned cats and ensure they receive the veterinary care and attention they deserve; help raise funds, promote neutering and help spread cat welfare messages. Our branch team leader volunteers lead their local team by supporting and managing volunteers within their group, maintaining communications with both volunteers and employees, and helping promote a positive and professional image of Cats Protection.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Supporting your team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure volunteers are happy and confident
• Making sure the team observes charity best practice and compliance
• Collaborating with your Branch Development Manager (BDM) to plan volunteer activity
• Leading the team to follow Cats Protection policies, procedures and guidelines
• Monitoring expenditure and helping ensure long term financial stability of the volunteer group
• Organising and chairing team meetings
• Acting as an ambassador for Cats Protection

Join Us in Making a Difference for Cats!
Volunteering is at the heart of Cats Protection—joyful, inclusive, and truly transformative. As a Fundraising & Events Volunteer, you’ll help raise the vital funds that support thousands of cats and kittens in need.

What You Could Be Doing:

• Supporting community fundraising events such as craft fairs, county shows, and local collections.
• Helping with online fundraising campaigns—perfect for showcasing your tech skills!
• Sorting and recording donated goods to help our cause.
• Sharing ideas to develop new fundraising activities with fellow volunteers and our Community Fundraising Hub.
• Promoting Cats Protection in Wrexham and wider area, connecting with supporters who love cats as much as you do!

What We Offer You:

• A welcoming, inclusive environment that values your contribution.
• Support to ensure your experience is positive and impactful.
• Reimbursement for agreed out-of-pocket expenses.
• Access to online training and a thorough induction to set you up for success.

This flexible role allows you to volunteer in a way that fits around your other commitments, so you can make a difference in a way that works for you.

Ready to Get Started?
Please make sure to share your email address with us, and we’ll be in touch to arrange an interview and send you the official application form. We can’t wait to meet you!

Together, we are all for cats.

Volunteering as part of our Cycle Hire addition to Ickworth's Visitor Experience, this role is to shape and develop the cycling culture at Ickworth and support with customer service as well as hiring out bikes.

By getting involved you could:

• Join an enthusiastic and varied team and form new friendships 
• Volunteer at this beautiful and inspiring property 
• Enjoy new experiences and learn something new every day 
• Let your personality shine, and build connections with our visitors and wider property team 
• Know you have made a difference to someone’s day out

What's involved:

To support the Cycle Hire Supervisor in the day to day running of the cycle hire hub 

• Meeting and greeting visitors and understanding their requirements
• Following the protocols for hiring and returning bikes 
• Sizing bikes for visitors and supporting with trailer and balance bike hire 
• Helping visitors navigate and plan their cycle route across the estate 
• Basic bike repairs (if you can, training can be provided) 
• Supporting housekeeping, cleanings equipment and facilities for use 
• Developing a cycling culture across the Ickworth Team
• Being part of the ideas team for what else Ickworth can offer as part of our cycling offer 

*As part of this role you will have the opportunity to learn basic cycle maintenance, but it is your choice if you opt in to taking on this training and no one should attempt to fix an Ickworth bike without having this training signed off*

This role will suit you if you:

• Are friendly, cheerful and have a positive outlook to welcome everyone and inspire others 
• Enjoy providing exceptional service 
• Are able to adapt their skills and knowledge to suit different situations and people 
• Have a passion for the outdoors and for helping people access Ickworth and the National Trust

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Without the passionate and committed teams of volunteers across Cats Protection we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of cats and kittens each year that rely on us for help. The purpose of this role is to support the organisation with communications and administration at a local level. You’ll play an active part in the branch committee and support the branch with record keeping and planning, thus enabling more cats to be helped.

You expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Disseminating relevant organisation-wide information and updates to the branch volunteers
• Supporting engagement and communication between the branch and wider organisation
• Drafting committee meeting agendas and taking and sharing meeting minutes
• Supporting the efficient running of the branch by ensuring administration processes are carried out effectively
• Supporting the administration and update of the branch annual plan 
• Sign-posting queries from members of the public
• Keeping branch records and information up to date and secure, using Cats Protection systems – training will be provided

Time expectation

Our support volunteers usually spend 2-5 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

 We are looking for someone with Social Media Marketing experience who has the ability to analyse data and identify trends to improve our social media strategies. We have a small team of volunteers who create and post our content but we are battling the algorithms.A large part of our findraising efforts rely on our reach across Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Tik Tok and Blue Sky and this allows us to keep our dogs fed and well cared for. Understanding how each platform works, its features and its auidience is a key part of this volunteer role. Although a remote position you will be joining a warm and friendly team who are in contact daily when needed so you will receive all the support you need. Come and join us and help stray dogs and former death dogs have better lives.

A bit about this role

This role is based in the Mid Kent area covering Maidstone, West Malling, Aylesford, Larkfield, Leybourne, Bearsted, Paddock Wood, West Kingsdown, Wrotham, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham, Lenham etc

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising team leaders have the exciting and varied role of inspiring our fundraising volunteers to plan and deliver local fundraising events. Using their passion and imagination, they oversee a small team of fundraising volunteers who come together to raise the vital funds needed to cover costs such as veterinary bills and food. Our fundraising team leaders support their team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure our volunteers are happy, confident and supported.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Supporting and encouraging a team of fundraising volunteers
• Planning fundraising events and activities with your team
• Allocating tasks before and during fundraising events
• Keeping financial records from fundraising events
• Encouraging and promoting a professional image of Cats Protection 
• Following policies and guidelines and ensuring licences and permits are obtained for events

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you! 

What you can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

This is a really flexible role – you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example:

• face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins 
• online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations
• marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press
• completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork
• championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement
• photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

Cats are at the centre of everything we do, and our objectives are homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care.

We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, employees and supporters.

A bit about this role...

Every penny counts when it comes to improving the lives of the thousands of cats and kittens across the UK that need our help each year. Our Collection Box Volunteers help us raise vital funds by collecting and distributing collection boxes in their local area. Making a difference can mean as little as raising 20p, which is enough to feed one cat in our care for a day, to £150 which is the average cost of a cat in our care.

What can I expect to be doing?

As a flexible role, you have the choice to be involved in the following:

• Researching local shops, pubs and businesses to place Collection Boxes
• Delivering Collection Boxes to locations
• Recording donations and thanking local businesses and supporters
• Collecting and replacing Collection boxes when they're full
• Sharing your passion for cat welfare and promoting the work of Cats Protection

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge though Cats Protection’s learn online system, providing you with the skills to thrive as a fundraiser. You’ll also have the chance to meet new people and be part of a dedicated team of Volunteers.
Money raised by our volunteers enables us to put cats first. Cats are at the centre of all we do. We care for them, ensure their welfare, and help others to understand and better support them.

We're looking for someone with:

• Sympathy to cats and our values
• Good communication skills
• Confidence in speaking to members of the public
• Confidence in handling money

How much time is expected of me?

Our Collection Tin Volunteer role is very flexible and can be completed at your own pace, independently with our dedicated support.

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we encounter as part of our activities.

Thank you for your support and sharing in this commitment and for everything you will do during your time with Cats Protection!