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 

Developing our organisation to be more representative of the 11 million cat owners across diverse communities in the UK and to be an inclusive place to volunteer and work is central to our ambition for cats. We want to grow our organisational impact by increasing our reach and to be relevant to our people and the communities we work with.

We would like to recruit a Lead Volunteer to collaborate with the Director of People and Culture, Head of Volunteering, Organisational Engagement and Inclusion (VEI) and internal stakeholders including Trustees, senior managers and volunteers to facilitate conversations, to stretch our thinking and provide external perspective and knowledge of EDI best practice, innovation, risk and areas of significant opportunity for Cats Protection.

You can expect us to

• Listen to your insights and expertise and develop these into our activities and impact. Using your knowledge and experience to challenge ourselves to do better
• 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

• Significant and up to date knowledge of equity, diversity and inclusion, experience of developing EDI strategy and delivery of change

• Strong facilitation skills, ability to challenge with respect and create inclusive environments to have open and challenging conversations
• Experience of working with senior managers preferably in the third sector
• The ability to understand organisations and teams quickly to formulate bespoke and impactful recommendations
• Experience of using an organised and logical approach to find solutions to complex problems

A bit more information about this role and the team

Approximate time commitment

You’ll spend around 3–6 hours per week volunteering in this role. There will be some invitations to meetings may mean volunteering more hours some weeks, but we are flexible about you fitting the role around other commitments. 

You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!

If you have any questions about the role, please get in touch with Julie Meredith, Head of Volunteering, Organisational Engagement and Inclusion, by email julie.meredith@cats.org.uk for an informal conversation.

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.