Animal care volunteer jobs in Edinburgh

Team: Advocacy

Location: Remote with regular travel - Must be a commutable distance to Edinburgh or Belfast

Work pattern: Mon-Fri, 7 hours per day. Occasional weekend or evening hours required

Salary: Up to £37,565.95 per year

Contract: Permanent

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our passionate employees, volunteers and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them.

Will you join us and make life better for cats?

Responsibilities of our Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Scotland/Northern Ireland:

- This role will cover both Scotland and Northern Ireland, the successful candidate will need to be able to travel between the two nations

- Lead engagement with the Scottish Government, the Northern Irish Executive, UK and local Government

- Support engagement with the UK Parliament

- Monitor parliamentary activity daily and conducting online research

- Preparing position statements and responses to external policy developments

- Developing public-facing charity campaigns including online resources, organising events and delivering presentations

- Media spokesperson for Cats Protection

About the Advocacy team:

You will be working as part of the Advocacy & Government Relations team in the Advocacy & Influence Directorate. The team is made up of 11 members who work across the whole of the UK speaking up for cats. Our campaigns change laws to better protect the health and welfare of cats.

What we’re looking for in our Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Scotland/Northern Ireland:

- Experience of advocacy, public affairs or influencing work (which may include campaigns), ideally in Scotland/Northern Ireland

- Lives within a commutable distance of Edinburgh or Belfast or willing to relocate to the area

- Experience of policy work and research

- Experience of dealing with high profile/ VIP individuals e.g. Ministers, MSs, MPs, MSPs, MLAs, Government Officials, Local Councillors and officers, corporate executives; professional organisations

- Proven ability to multi-task and work independently on own initiative, accurately and under pressure

- Resilience and an ability to deal with potentially upsetting topics

- Experience of effective use of social media and the internet in an advocacy/campaign context

- A confident communicator with good written and oral skills; and great people skills

- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to be flexible and adaptable

- Intermediate skills using Microsoft Office – Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint

What we can offer you:

- range of health benefits

- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service

- Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing

- Access to a wide range of internal and external learning and development opportunities

- A friendly and supportive team

- We are happy to wait for the right candidate, please still consider applying if you have several months’ notice period

- and much more, which you can learn about

Application closing date: 11th February 2026

Virtual interview date: 5th & 6th March 2026

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to.

If successful, your recruitment journey will include:

1. Anonymised application form

2. Video screening

3. Virtual interview

Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes.

Please email us if you require any adjustments to be made for you to complete your application or to participate in the recruitment journey.

The Relationship Fundraising team at Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) is responsible for securing income from individuals, regional businesses and groups fundraising in the community, effectively managing relationships to maximise income.

The Relationship Fundraising role will play a significant part in contributing to a high-performing fundraising team. The role will cover the country of Northern Ireland.

You will report to the Relationship Fundraising Manager and support the Head of Relationship Fundraising & Volunteering to drive the continued growth of the charity’s fundraising income in your area. You will also be required to show excellent relationship-building skills to support community partnerships and volunteer groups, driving towards agreed targets.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy, finance, and reporting

· Responsibility for stewardship and relationship building with supporters within the region.

· Identify and apply for ‘Charity of the Year’ partnerships with corporates in the region, account manage these relationships up to a value of £50,000 per annum and support the Partnership Development Team with national partnerships in your region.

· Support existing volunteer fundraisers to encourage continued loyalty to the charity and to maximise funds raised, in accordance with fundraising legislation and good practice.

· Recruit new fundraising supporters in line with strategy.

· Support the Relationship Fundraising Manager (RFM) and Head of Relationship Fundraising (HORF) in developing the Relationship Fundraising strategy for ARUK to increase income within this stream.

· Support and extend volunteer networks within geographical area in line with strategy.

· To ensure that fundraising activity is implemented and managed to deliver budgets, targets and income in line with strategy. To achieve this by supporting and facilitating the development of groups and volunteers across geographical area.

· Work across a diverse geographical area and within a geographically dispersed team, whilst managing own workload in a cost-effective and proactive way.

Supporter management

· Provide excellent customer service to fundraising supporters, with prompt responses to enquiries, to acknowledge support and increase long-term loyalty.

· Provide high-quality account management to volunteer groups in geographical area.

· Effective management of volunteer relationships within geographical area.

· Support, motivate and develop local fundraising volunteers, ensuring they have a clear understanding of ARUK to enable them to represent the charity’s work effectively.

· In liaison with the Partnership Development Managers and Partnership Officers, provide high quality account management to corporate supporters within specified geographical area and/or of relevant value.

· Keep up to date with fundraising legislation and codes of practice to be able to provide relevant advice to fundraisers.

· Ensure volunteers and fundraisers have all necessary materials for fundraising initiatives.

Increasing Community Support within geographical area

· Use own initiative to extend volunteer networks, develop new groups and supporters, and respond to fundraising opportunities within geographical area, in line with strategy.

· Manage recruitment process of new ARUK volunteers in geographical area, providing relevant support and training.

· Liaise with local community organisations (predominantly golf clubs) – both previous and new potential supporters – to extend income and activity in line with strategy.

· Provide face-to-face talks and presentations to community organisations for recruitment/ cultivation purposes.

· Arrange appropriate volunteer representation at events in the community, spreading the charity’s reach cost-effectively.

· Identify, research and target prospective community organisations, in liaison with RFM.

· Identify, research and target prospective local corporates in liaison with RFM / HORF and ARUK’s Partnership Development Managers and Partnership Development Officers, in line with strategy.

· Accurately track and record contact with both community and corporate prospects for planning and reporting purposes.

Monitoring and Reporting

· Ensure that your activity is monitored and evaluated, clearly communicating progress to your Relationship Fundraising Manager.

· Manage relevant information on the charity’s database, keeping detailed, up-to-date records of activity and income.

What we are looking for:

· Experience in partnership fundraising and/or relationship building

· Experience and confidence in public-speaking, such as giving presentations and talking at events

· Knowledge of recruiting key volunteers and fundraising supporters

· Experience and a keen interest in building long term relationships with supporters

· Proven ability of providing excellent stewardship

· An ability to manage a busy and varied workload

· Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

· Excellent organisational skills

· Full driver’s license with access to own vehicle. 

· Flexibility to work some unsocial hours and willingness to travel independently

· Live within defined region

Additional Information:

Ways of working:

As part of our Remote ways of working you will be home based. You will only need to attend the office for specific requirements of the role and the business needs.

Roles that are classed as part of the Remote ways of working are able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £33,500 per annum, plus benefits car allowance of £3,500 and associated expenses (if applicable).

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 15th February 2026, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website. 

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

Can you build strong relationships and help others achieve their fundraising goals?

At the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, we are looking for a Relationship Fundraiser to join our team on a 12-month Fixed Term Contract. This is a fantastic opportunity where you will help strengthen connections with individuals, local businesses, and our branches and groups face-to-face across the region. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference by supporting fundraisers, delivering events, and ensuring every supporter feels valued.

This is a home-based role with travel requirements across: North and East Yorkshire. Applicants need to be based in or close to the designated region.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver community and local business fundraising events in your region
• Provide a tailored supporter journey through a range quality communications including meetings, calls and emails
• Support our branches and groups to grow income from local events, trusts, and corporates
• Build strong relationships to maximise fundraising potential and engagement
• Ensure funds are processed accurately and on time
• Collaborate with the wider community team to maintain consistent processes and accurate CRM records
• Represent the Association at events, presentations, and local media opportunities
• Ensure all fundraising activities comply with law, best practice, and internal policies

About You:

• Experience in community fundraising or relationship management
• Experience coaching and motivating people
• Confident using CRM databases with knowledge of GDPR
• Inclusive and respectful of diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Passionate about inspiring supporters to reach their fundraising goals
• Strong communication skills with tact and diplomacy
• Excellent attention to detail across written and verbal communication
• Track record of working to income targets
• Ability to work evenings and weekends when required
• Full clean driving licence

About Us:

Our vision is a world free from MND. Our mission is to improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND. The Association also campaigns and raises awareness so the needs of people with MND, and everyone who cares for them, are recognised, and addressed by wider society.

What We Offer:

• 28 days holiday, increasing to 33 days after 5 years, plus Bank Holidays.
• Access to UK Healthcare, including dental, eyecare, health screenings, and therapies.
• 24/7 GP access via phone and video.
• Life assurance and confidential counselling helplines.
• Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, Buy/Sell Annual Leave).
• Access to Benefit Hub for discounts on everyday shopping.
• Enhanced pension scheme.
• Opportunities for training and personal development.
• Hybrid working.

The full job description and further information about working for the MND Association is available in the candidate pack.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We work to remove barriers for everyone affected by MND, employees, volunteers, and stakeholders.

As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the role's requirements.