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, staff and supporters.
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
A bit more information about this role and the team
🐾 Fundraising Volunteer – Pick & Mix Your Way to Making a Difference! 🐾
🎉 A role that fits you
This is a pick-and-mix fundraising role, meaning you choose what you’d like to get involved in. You can try different activities, learn as you go, and change things up over time depending on what you enjoy and what the charity needs most.
You might enjoy:
- Running or helping out at fundraising events, supermarket collections or pop-up stalls
- Supporting online fundraising, writing cat stories or sharing appeals
- Spreading the word on social media or through local press
- Helping behind the scenes with admin, donations or Gift Aid
- Getting creative with new fundraising ideas and community engagement
- Taking photos of cats, events and all things Cats Protection
Whatever your skills, interests or experience, there’s a place for you here.
🧠 Your ideas matter
We encourage our fundraisers to be autonomous and creative, using their local knowledge to come up with fun, exciting ideas.
Do you know a cat-loving pub that could host a quiz night? A friend with a small business who might donate a prize for a raffle? A local market or fayre where we could run a tabletop sale? These are the kinds of ideas that make a real difference – and we’d love to hear yours.
🌍 Local roots, wider impact
Although this role is advertised in your local area, you’re very welcome to support nearby branches too if you’d like. You’ll be part of our Northwest Fundraising Hub, rather than tied to one specific branch, but any funds raised at events are sent straight back to local branches to support cats in your community.
💬 You won’t be doing it alone
You’ll be supported by our regional fundraising team and connected to a friendly community of like-minded volunteers. We mostly keep in touch via WhatsApp, where we share ideas, celebrate successes, offer support and help each other grow.
🕒 Time commitment
This role is completely flexible and can fit around your other commitments. Give as much or as little time as you’re able – every contribution helps.
🐱 A few practical bits
- You’ll need to be 18+ to volunteer independently
- If you’re 16–17, you’re very welcome to get involved, but when out and about in the community, we will link you with someone over the age of 18 to keep you safeguarded.
** We aim to respond to your application within 5 working days, but it is also worth noting that our emails can often land in the junk/spam folder so please do keep your eyes there too. If, after 5 days you have not heard from us or are unable to locate an email from us, please contact us using the address " volunteering@nwengland.cats.org.uk"
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
- You’ll need to be aged 18+ to volunteer in this role. If you’re aged 16-17, you’ll need to be supervised by a friend, family member, or guardian over the age of 18 in order to carry out any fundraising activity.
Time expectation
This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!
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.
