Animal volunteer roles

Unfortunately, thousands of cats each year are abandoned or have strayed and rely on charities like Cats Protection for help. Becoming a trap, neuter and return (TNR) volunteer is one way you can make a real difference to cats in your local area. Our TNR volunteers help reduce the number of feral cats by raising awareness of our TNR programmes, setting humane traps to safely capture cats, taking them to local vets to be neutered, and hopefully returning them back to their territory. Local TNR programmes are crucial, as feral and abandoned cats present a huge challenge for communities across the UK.

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:

• Trapping cats using humane methods
• Taking cats to local vets to be neutered 
• Returning cats to their territory or finding a suitable alternative

The role might also include:

• Regular feeding of feral colonies
• Promoting neutering by building relationships with farmers, land owners and local businesses
• Liaising with vets to promote and arrange neutering 

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

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

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
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and 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

The branch are looking for indoor and outdoor Fosterer volunteers.

What we need from you 

• A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us
• Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction
• A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare
• Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home
• You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Time expectation

Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.

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

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food – and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

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.

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:

· Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food

· Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres

· Transporting equipment to and from events

Time expectation

Our transport volunteers usually spend two to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

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

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food – and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

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.

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:

• Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food
• Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres
• Transporting equipment to and from events

Time expectation

Our transport volunteers usually spend two to four 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.

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

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

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
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and 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 

• A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us
• Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction
• A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare
• Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home
• You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website

Time expectation

Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.

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.

A bit about this role

At Cats Protection we passionately believe that neutering cats before they can breed is an essential part of cat ownership, and without neutering the UK’s cat population would quickly get out of control. Our neutering volunteers help spread positive neutering messages and make it easier for owners on low incomes to get their cats neutered. They help raise awareness of the benefits of neutering, promote our neutering schemes and respond to enquiries from members of the public.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Promoting the benefits of neutering and our neutering schemes
• Responding to enquiries about neutering
• Completing relevant neutering paperwork and distributing neutering vouchers
• Following up with cat owners to make sure that vouchers are used
• Ensuring all cats and kittens are neutered in line with Cats Protection policies and procedures

The difference you will make to cats and people

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food – and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

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.

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:

• Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food
• Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres
• Transporting equipment to and from 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

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food – and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

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.

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:

· Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food

· Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres

· Transporting equipment to and from events

Time expectation

Our transport volunteers usually spend two to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

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. Life in a rescue environment is never ideal for any cat compared to a loving home. Our cat adoption team leaders support cat homing and as part of this they may lead a team of volunteer home visitors who collectively play an important part in matching our feline friends with their new families. Our cat adoption team leaders support their team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure our volunteers are happy, confident and supported.

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:

• Acting as the main point of contact within the team for cat adoption enquiries via email/telephone and social media
• Supporting the adoption process through either homefinder questionnaires or a small team of home visitors
• Liaising closely with other volunteers to ensure information on cats being helped is correct and up to date
• Following up on any post-adoption queries
• Play an active part in the volunteer committee, being part of the team leading on cat adoption information and updates
• Collaborating with the cat welfare team leader to ensure the highest standards of cat care are applied in line with Cats Protection policy and procedures

Time expectation

The cat adoption team leader role is vital within our busy volunteer teams. Our current volunteers spend around 10 to 12 hours per week in this flexible role, which can be shared by more than one volunteer if required.

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

Unfortunately cats can occasionally stray or get lost, which can be extremely distressing for their owners. Our lost and found volunteers are passionate about reuniting lost cats and bringing families back together. They help cats and their owners by advertising lost cats and providing support, advice and guidance to people searching for their cats.

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

We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate person, with a background in health and safety, who could devote their time to volunteer with us as one of our trustees at our Lincolnshire Mid and Lincoln Branch. This role will give you the chance to influence how we care for and prevent cruelty to animals and drive the implementation of key initiatives.

As a minimum, trustees would normally be expected to attend a monthly committee meeting lasting some 2 to 3 hours. However, the commitment may vary depending on whether or not the trustee takes on additional duties.

Primary responsibilities of the Branch Trustee - Health and Safety

• To act as the branch committee member with specific responsibility for informing co-trustees, branch volunteers, and staff on health and safety matters relating to branch activities, and to assist with the implementation of good health and safety practices.
• Liaise with the branch manager regarding the implementation of any new health and safety guidelines the Society, or the branch’s health and safety provider.
• Work with staff managers to ensure that the required staff training on health and safety is carried out.
• Ensure that health & safety risk assessments including manual handling, COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations), and fire is carried out and reviewed annually.

What we are looking for in a volunteer:

We are committed to creating a Board which is representative of our society and in particular, our community and surrounding areas so encourage people from any background to apply for any of our opportunities.

Alongside health and safety experience, we are looking for someone who is committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and shares our passion for animal welfare. You would be creative, innovative, bring a fresh perspective, and can put ideas into action.

You will need to be able to work with people and have good interpersonal skills. You do not need to be an expert although commitment, common sense, and the ability to be objective are vital.

What we can offer you as a volunteer Branch Trustee - Health and Safety

• We will provide you with a comprehensive trustee training course which will provide you will everything you need to carry out the role.
• Ongoing support is also provided by local and national RSPCA staff in addition to any additional training provided by the relevant branch.
• The platform to utilise your skills and experience to oversee the charity and make decisions that have a direct impact on local animal welfare.
• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones, whilst making a real difference to the lives of animals.
• A way to expand your professional and personal network through working with like-minded people.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate person, with a background in retail operations and income generation. An individual who could devote their time to volunteer as a trustee for our Branch, and support us in maximising the revenue generated from our charity shops as we want to increase our skill set across our trustee board.

Alongside passing on your expertise, this opportunity will give you the chance to influence how we care for and prevent cruelty to animals and drive the implementation of key initiatives. You will serve on the governing body of the charity and be instrumental, alongside fellow trustees, in the running of the Branch and setting out both the short and long term aims.

As a minimum, trustees would normally be expected to attend a monthly committee meeting lasting some 2 to 3 hours. However, the commitment may vary depending on whether or not the trustee takes on additional duties. This role will join the current trustee board (made up of 9 members) and you will be supported by other trustees.

Primary responsibilities of the Branch Trustee – Retail and Income Generation

• Assist the Shop Managers in maximising the profitability of the Branch’s two charity shops, directly line manage the branches 2 shop managers.
• Work with the Trustee committee to explore any potential for expanding the retail operation by researching the potential for further charity shops.
• Support the Branch with the Branch’s e-commerce operation via online sales platforms such as eBay/Vinted.
• Work with other trustees, the Branch staff to ensure the charity shops meet health and safety standards.
• Explore other ways to generate income for the Branch and work closely with other committee members/branch staff members to put these ideas into action.

What we are looking for in a volunteer:

We are committed to creating a Board which is representative of our society and in particular, our community and surrounding areas so encourage people from any background to apply for any of our opportunities.

Alongside retail operations and income generation experience, we are looking for someone who is committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and shares our passion for animal welfare. You would be creative, innovative, bring a fresh perspective, and can put ideas into action.

You will need to be able to work with people and have good interpersonal skills. You do not need to be an expert although commitment, common sense, and the ability to be objective are vital.

What we can offer you as a volunteer Branch Trustee – Retail and Income Generation

• We will provide you with a comprehensive trustee training course which will provide you with everything you need to carry out the role.
• Ongoing support is also provided by local and national RSPCA staff in addition to any additional provided by the relevant branch.
• The platform to utilise your skills and experience to oversee the charity and make decisions that have a direct impact on local animal welfare.
• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones, whilst making a real difference to the lives of animals.
• A way to expand your professional and personal network through working with like-minded people.

We'd love applicants within or very close to the branch area - Finchley, Hendon, Golders Green, Edgware, Whetstone, Stanmore.

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

From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.

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
• Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
• Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

As a Volunteer Services Lead, you would work with and support the Lead Volunteer Coordinator in recruiting and placing volunteers. You would help the Lead Volunteer Coordinator manage and motivate the team of volunteers and ensure that the required resources to the team.

As a minimum, trustees would normally be expected to attend a monthly committee meeting lasting some 2 to 3 hours. However, the commitment may vary depending on whether the trustee takes on additional duties.

Alongside the Lead Volunteer Services Coordinator:

• Develop and implement an effective and welcoming induction program for new volunteers to the branch.
• Keep an up-to-date list of volunteering opportunities within the branch.
• Working with the centre manager, supervisors, retail managers and Trustees to arrange the recruitment and placement of volunteers.
• Matching what volunteers would like to do to help the centre with the Branches need for volunteer help.

What we are looking for in a volunteer:

Above all, we are looking for someone who is committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and shares our passion for animal welfare.

We are looking for someone with recruitment and people management experience, and it would be even better if some of that experience is in managing volunteers.

You will need to be able to work with people and have good interpersonal skills. You do not need to be an expert, although commitment, common sense, and the ability to be objective are vital.

What we can offer you as a volunteer Branch Trustee – Volunteer Services

• We will provide you with a comprehensive trustee training course which will provide you will everything you need to carry out the role.
• Ongoing support is also provided by regional and national RSPCA staff in addition to any additional training provided by the relevant branch.
• The platform to utilise your skills and experience to oversee the charity and make decisions that have a direct impact on local animal welfare.
• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones, whilst making a real difference to the lives of animals.
• A way to expand your professional and personal network through working with like-minded people.