Branch Trustee (Chester-Le-Street)

RSPCA Branches rescue, rehabilitate and rehome those animals most at risk through clinics, animal centres, boarding and fostering facilities; offer advice and education on animal welfare; and support with microchipping, neutering and subsidised animal treatments for animals owned by people in financial difficulty.

Each RSPCA branch (of which there are approx. 155) is a separately registered charity, operating at a local level across England and Wales. Branches did 78% of the rehoming activity across the RSPCA network in 2020, and took in 31,076 animals into their care. There are also over 300 RSPCA charity shops, all of which are run by RSPCA branches. The RSPCA has been at the forefront of animal welfare since 1824 when we were founded in a London coffee shop, and we’re proud to be the oldest animal welfare charity around.

What does RSPCA Sunderland, Hartlepool & South Tyneside Branch do?

We cover a large area in the North East of England within the Sunderland, Hartlepool and South Tyneside district and fundraise within this area. The animal welfare services that we offer include:

• Subsidised microchipping, neutering and emergency treatment for owned animals
• Advice and welfare support
• Education, we create and supply education material for schools within our branch area
• Pet food bank for those struggling to feed their animals in the current financial climate

What do RSPCA branch volunteer trustees do?

RSPCA branch trustees are volunteers who shape the work that the branch does, and are collectively responsible for governing and managing the affairs of the branch. “Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do.” “Trustees are the people who lead the charity and decide how it is run.” “They may be known by other titles, such as: directors, board members, governors, committee members” - Charity Commission.

This guidance page explains what trustees do. You can find more about RSPCA branch trustees and do a short session on 'Becoming a Branch Trustee' on the RSPCA website.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for applications from people from all social and cultural backgrounds, who are passionate about improving animal welfare. It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced trustee or not, as trustee training and induction will be provided. You will have knowledge or experience in one or more of the following fields:

• Accountancy
• Financial planning and budgeting
• Marketing and advertising
• Strategic planning
• Charity retail
• Animal Welfare
• Charity law or charitable work
• To fill a gap we have identified in the skills shared by our current board of trustees and to help secure the future financial viability of our branch.

We hold monthly trustees’ meetings, which last approximately 2 hours. We ask for trustees to join as many of these meetings as possible, 6 being the minimum attended per year. You will also need to allow time to prepare for trustees’ meetings - creating or reading through any relevant documents ahead of meetings.

Our trustees meet in person at our Community Hub or attend online. The meeting times are chosen to suit all branch trustees’ availability, so this may be flexible. You may need additional availability between meetings, depending on whether you decide to take on additional duties (e.g. Secretary, Treasurer, Chair, line management, being part of a working group).

Our trustees are passionate about animal welfare and volunteer some extra time outside of trustee meetings to assist the branch where required.

Trustees are elected for a 12 month term each year at the branch’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is held in June, and between AGMs branches have the ability to co-opt an additional three trustees, who serve until the next planned AGM.

What’s in it for you?

There are lots of benefits to becoming an RSPCA Branch Trustee, including:

• Induction and trustee training
• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones
• The ability to use your skills to to improve the wellbeing of animals in your local area, and make a real difference to the lives of animals
• The capacity to shape innovative projects, and be part of the RSPCA’s ten year strategy - “Together for animal welfare”
• Access to our learning hub, which contains training materials and courses on a variety of subjects
• The chance to meet like-minded people who share your enthusiasm for animal welfare
• The chance to shape the services in your local area
• Volunteering is good for your wellbeing.