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Complete your Duke of Edinburgh programme with Cats Protection - you'll develop new skills, gain experience and make new friends

Reasons to complete your Duke of Edinburgh programme with Cats Protection

  • You'll develop new skills
  • You'll expand your knowledge
  • Become more confident in working with new people
  • Make new friends
  • Become part of a dedicated team of volunteers
  • Your experience could be useful for UCAS personal statements and National Records of Achievement

Which Cats Protection roles are available to DofE participants?

During your DofE programme, you will volunteer for as little as one hour a week for a minimum of three months, but this can change depending on your role and how much time you can give.

DofE Bronze

  • Minimum time: 3-6 months
  • You need to do one of your Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections for six months and the others for three months.

DofE Silver

  • Minimum time: 6-12 months
  • If you have not achieved your Bronze level, you need to extend your volunteering or the longer of your Physical or Skills sections to 12 months.

DofE Gold

  • Minimum time: 12-18 months
  • If you have not achieved your Silver level, you need to extend your Volunteering or the longer of your Physical or Skills section to 18 months.

Every team is different and decisions on the availability of volunteering positions for particular age groups will be made according to whether we can offer the appropriate level of support, to ensure volunteers have a positive experience.

Retail volunteers

Our retail volunteers help raise the funds needed for us to help cats and kittens in need – whether they have a passion for cats, retail or both! They identify, price and sort saleable items from donated stock, and prepare new window and in-store displays. The money raised goes directly to helping our feline friends. Even raising as little as 20p makes a difference, as this is enough to feed a cat in our care for a day.

To find out more about what these roles involve, click on the role descriptions below:

DofE participants must be over 14 years to volunteer independently with Cats Protection, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants must be 16 years old to volunteer on the till or to steam clothes.

Fundraising volunteers

Our fundraising volunteers are part of a fun team that helps raise funds to help cats in need. They help plan and deliver exciting and varied fundraising events, such as craft fairs, cake sales, sponsored abseils and anything in between! 

To find out more about what this role involve, click on the role description below:

DofE participants must be over 16 years old to fundraise independently with Cats Protection, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Cat care volunteers

Across Cats Protection, our feline friends looking for new homes are cared for either at our centres, by volunteer fosterers in their own homes or in purpose built pens in their gardens. Our cat care volunteers are part of a passionate team that look after and meet the needs of cats while they are in our care. This is an exciting role for cat lovers, as our cat care volunteers get to spend time directly with the cats when cleaning their pens, helping with feeding and when enriching their lives before they find their forever homes.

To find out more about what our cat care roles involve, click on the role descriptions below:

DofE participants must be over 14 years old to volunteer independently with Cats Protection, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

How to apply?

  1. First check if there is any DofE opportunities advertised on our website 
  2. If there isn’t anything suitable in your area, please check in with your local team. You can search and find the contact details here.
  3. For any other queries, please contact volunteering@cats.org.uk or ring us on 03000 12 12 12
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