Volunteering
Thank you for being interested in volunteering with Ferndown Homing Centre.
By volunteering with Cats Protection you really can help make a difference to the lives of cats, kittens and people in your community and across the UK.
Cats Protection on average help nearly 190,000 cats and kittens in any one year, and much of this is thanks to the help and dedication of volunteers across the UK.
|
|
Volunteering with Ferndown Homing Centre
We recently asked our Centre Volunteers to give us ONE WORD that described how they feel about volunteering here at the Ferndown. Here are some of the words they chose:
There are a variety of ways to volunteer within Cats Protection and Ferndown Homing Centre, such as:
* Assisting with the care and socialisation of the cats
* Administration and reception
* Gardening & odd jobs
* Helping the centre with PR and open days
* Joining our fundraising team
Your time is hugely important to us and we take volunteer roles very seriously. Each and every volunteer is a hugely valued member of our team, and we offer training, advice, support and guidance and strive to make volunteer roles as enjoyable as possible.
As a volunteer we aim to ensure you feel you are directly contributing to the care of the cats, as well as having the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and form new friendships.
Given the nature of what we do, we need to have an organised and structured approach to our week so ideally we need volunteers able to regularly commit to a set time /day each week.
To find out more about volunteer roles at Ferndown Homing centre and other opportunities in the local area, please visit our “Find an Opportunity” page. We also often advertise through our local Volunteer Bureau, Volunteer Centre Dorset, or you can contact us on 03000 120 175 or via ferndown@cats.org.uk and we will be happy to let you know if we have any current opportunities.
-------------
Animal Care College and Silver & Gold Duke of Edinburgh Placements
We are delighted to be an approved activity provider for the volunteering section of the Silver and Gold levels of the Duke of Edinburgh award for students aged 16 years+. Volunteering with us is an excellent way to gain experience, develop skills and to meet the volunteering requirements for the award.
We take education very seriously and because of the time and commitment we put into each and every placement, we are only able to offer a very limited number of placements (subject to availability).
It is very important to us that all placements are a beneficial experience for all involved,and as we receive a large number of applications for placements, to ensure we match the right person with the right role we do use a selection process. We will require students to be able to show a passion and commitment for the health and wellbeing of the cats, as well as an obvious desire to work in an animal welfare environment.
Whilst all requests for work experience placements are considered, we are predominantly only able to consider placements to students requiring a minimum of two weeks, and those committed to studying an animal welfare qualification.
|
|
--------------
Pre-Clinical EMS placements:
Are you studying to become a vet or vet nurse? If so, you could consider completing your pre-clinical Extra Mural Studies (EMS) placements with Cats Protection, the UK’s leading feline welfare charity. Subject to availability we offer minimum two week placements for Pre-clinical EMS Students, in a supported environment to help you develop many fundamental skills and knowledge that will be needed in a veterinary career. Click here for our leaflet
Were available we offer minimum two week placements where you will be supported to develop many fundamental skills and the knowledge you need to succeed which is a great start to your veterinary career.
Throughout your placement, you would develop animal handling, husbandry and communication skills, be introduced to CP’s minimum veterinary standards (MVS) and the principles of shelter medicine and learn about the importance of kitten neutering and population control. You also get access to Cats Protection’s online learning platform and resources on topics such as cat behaviour, infectious diseases and their control, cat care and welfare and our Veterinary Guide.
It is very important to us that all placements are a beneficial experience for all involved and we do receive a large number of applications for placements, so to ensure we match the right person with the right role we do use a selection process.
For more information regarding any of the above Work Experience placements, please contact ferndown@cats.org.uk or call 03000 120 175 for more information. |
Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV)
Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) is the encouragement and facilitation of volunteering in the community through the organisation by which an individual is employed. Typically, this involves employees donating their time and expertise, either during official work hours or on their own time with some kind of company support.
We have lots of different activities that you can get involved in, which you can do from your work place or at one of our CP sites across the UK!
One off activities
Would you like to help cats in your lunch break? Or perhaps a simple and fun team building exercise, which you can do from your office? Check out some of our easy and fun enrichment toys:
Hunting enrichment toy - PDF - 371KB - Download
Feeding enrichment toy - PDF - 377KB - Download
Toilet roll pyramid enrichment toy - PDF - 179KB - Download
Once you have made your toys, you can either post them or hands deliver them to a CP site near you
Planned activities at our Adoption Centres and shops
If you are interested in a team activity at one of centres or shops, involving anything from painting, minor DIY repairs, gardening to the more glamorous feline enrichment, then please do get in touch with us via ferndown@cats.org.uk