RSPCA Lincolnshire North East Branch recruiting new trustees

The branch – which covers an area as far as Alford to the south and East Halton in the north and includes all towns and villages in between including Mablethorpe – will celebrate its 125th anniversary this year, and following the retirement of its current trustees after 35 years of service, a new band of helpers is needed.

The Lincolnshire North East Branch is a separately registered charity from the national RSPCA and provides many animal welfare services, including taking in sick animals from the local inspectorate and providing welfare, neutering and veterinary assistance and advice.

At the moment, the branch is in National Board Trusteeship – whereby temporary trustees undertake the day to day management and development – until it can be returned to the control of the local trustees.

Temporary trustee Suzie Etridge said: “We are currently trying to fill a host of trustee roles which would cover a wide spectrum, and each role is unique and absolutely vital to the work we do at the branch.

"Whilst many people would love to work directly with the animals, this isn’t always possible due to the commitments of modern day life. But, by giving up a few hours a week as a trustee, people can still help the animals we have in our care. You could also apply with like-minded colleagues or friends.

“For the trustee recruitment drive we are hoping to hear from people who have a background or interest in any of the following areas such as animal welfare, marketing, social media, fundraising, charity governance, retail, business management, finance, health and safety, risk management, HR and even retail.

"Trustees make a tremendous contribution to the work we do to prevent animal cruelty and alleviate the suffering of animals. Anyone who signs up to be a trustee will be helping scores of animals in the area that desperately need our help.

“The trustees would be involved in setting the strategy for the branch and will influence how animal welfare issues in the local area are tackled. We are looking for people with particular skills to take the lead in those areas of charity management.

“Becoming a trustee is hugely rewarding and as well as helping animals you can also gain new skills and develop existing ones. It's a chance to try something new. One thing that our trustees say is that they feel a real sense of pride and achievement knowing that their efforts will be helping others - both humans and animals.”

If you are interested in becoming a trustee, email [email protected], or visit the RSPCA website at https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/volunteer/whatcanido/branchtrustee for further information about Branch Trustees.

You can also find out what it takes to become a trustee by reading this blog about life as a volunteer RSPCA trustee.