The lead volunteer will be responsible for admissions & homings in co-ordination with the admissions and homing volunteer. They will also be responsible for overseeing that the scheduled daily tasks such as feeding, cleaning, interaction and socialisation and organising supplies is carried out satisfactorily.

Most importantly, the lead volunteer will be responsible for security at the Ark and should ensure that all doors are kept closed when not in use, especially the front door. The lead volunteer should co-ordinate the daily tasks of all volunteers on the premises and ensure that all chores are done.

The role of the assisting volunteers is to support the Lead Volunteer in ensuring that all cats are fed and watered, all litter trays are kept clean, and that all rooms are clean and tidy.

Socialising and interacting is a main part of the role here, as often the lead volunteer may be too busy with homings, admissions visitors and other tasks to give the 1 to 1 quality time that the cats benefit from.

Assisting volunteers should work under the direction of the lead volunteer of the day and may be asked to help in a wide variety of tasks.

We would like to try to get a team of two assisting volunteers in most of the day, but can't accommodate more as our building is small.

Cat cuddling is simply interacting with whatever cats or kittens that are in the Ark at the time. Most cats like some attention and interaction, getting such helps make their stay more pleasant and gets them get homed quicker!

Sometimes we rescue feral kittens, depending on their age, and any previous exposure to people, these youngsters may need intensive and sustained gentle handling and interaction to get used being handled by humans.

Potentially, this process can be very taxing and over a sustained period before the progress becomes apparent. Though tough, this work can be the most vital and rewarding, as the difference made to the youngster's future chances in life are dramatic. Literally, it could mean the difference between getting a home as a treasured family pet, or spending a short and miserable life as a feral outside, become succumbing to starvation, illness, cold or road traffic!

Westgate Ark regularly need drivers for rescues, vet runs, homings, and other missions!

Most of the veterinary runs will be local, as are many of the rescue jobs we do, though could be further afield.

The Westgate Ark Rescue & Trapping team carry out rescues of stray cats reported to us in distress. Most of the time this is cats found living in peoples garden sheds or coal bunkers, etc.

Sometimes, we go out to rescue cats where the owners can't cope any longer as they may have become overrun due to failure to neuter for example. 

The team needs trappers, drivers, fund raisers, assisting co-ordinators,  cat cuddlers, and feral placement finders.