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We are seeking somebody to join us as a Project Manager for Preventing Pet Relinquishment

We would welcome applications from anyone with a passion for their local community and animal welfare. As a local charity we would ideally be looking for candidates who are local to the Sheffield area, although applications from further afield will be considered, for the right candidate.

Project Description

Cats and kittens need to be rehomed for many different reasons. Some lose their homes because an owner’s circumstance or health suddenly change, while others are brought into our care because their basic needs can no longer be met due to financial pressures or other challenges

At The Sheffield Cats Shelter we have supported cats and kittens in need for more than 129 years. Thanks to funding and support from the Pets Foundation, Cats Protection and a generous legacy donation, we are now able to approach this challenge differently – by better understanding why people make the decisions they do, and by understanding human behaviour, to prevent cats entering shelters. We aim to make a real and long lasting difference for cat welfare in our community.

Working in collaboration with Cats Protection and RAIN Rescue, our goal is to keep more cats in the homes they know and with the families who love them. Through targeted support for both owned and community cats, we will improve welfare, enable cats to remain where they are cared for, and strengthen the human animal bond across our community.

This three year project will start in Northeast Sheffield which is the area from which most cats are admitted into our shelter. By using community insight, behavioural frameworks, and practical support such as neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, and financial assistance, we aim to create long term, sustainable improvement to cat welfare.

Job Purpose

– to support Sheffield families in diverse communities struggling to keep their pet cats cared for, well, and in loving homes;

– to raise awareness among these communities about the importance of neutering and microchipping cats and, together with other external stakeholders, build strong and effective relationships;

– to improve wellbeing among pet cats, reduce unwanted behaviours and increase the number who are neutered and chipped, in order to reduce the number of cats being rehomed, as well as stray and feral cat populations.

Core Job Role:

Engage with and establish relationships with external agencies e.g Housing Associations, Local Authority departments, LACs, foodbanks, and organisations working in areas of health, homelessness and promoting independent living, to support the scheme in broadening our reach into communities of interest.
Within a defined area, lead on the four core planning strategies – i.e. locating the need, building trust and awareness, identifying barriers to change and designing appropriate interventions to develop a community engagement strategy and project plan.
Establish a network of external stakeholder relationships with local vets, local authorities, housing associations and community groups in communities identified.