Volunteer in 2024

Volunteer this year!

New year is a great time for starting something new, and what better activity to add to your schedule than a spot of volunteering?!

Over 170 people in Suffolk volunteer for RSPCA Suffolk Central, but we still need extra help and support.

If you could give some time this year, whether it is a regular commitment or a one-off gesture, we’d love to hear from you.

For a volunteer application form or to find out more about volunteer roles email volunteering@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk

Here are some of the roles we particularly need help with in 2024…

Volunteer Collectors

Collectors give just two hours on a Saturday once or twice a year to help collect donations at local supermarkets. We match you to your nearest store and pair you with another volunteer. We always tell you how much has been raised so you know exactly how much of a difference you make. It is an easy way to volunteer and help animals in Suffolk.

Collection Coordinator – West Suffolk

Are you good at organising? Do you know the Bury, Sudbury and Haverhill area well? Could you give a few hours each month to help coordinate store collections in West Suffolk? We are seeking someone with good administration and people skills to liaise with supermarkets and volunteers to organise store collections in West Suffolk. You will arrange rotas, coordinate the delivery of collection materials, and help count the proceeds, all from the comfort of your own home!

Event Volunteers – Set-Up

Can you put up a gazebo? Are you happy to lift and carry boxes and equipment? If so, we need you! Our events are great fun, but manning a stall is not for everyone. Some people are better suited to getting stuck into to the set up and breakdown of events, including putting up gazebos, moving tables, and erecting banners. Pick and choose the events you can help us at and give a couple of hours to help make the stand look amazing so we can raise lots of money!

Event Volunteers – Stand/Stall Holder

Do you enjoy talking to people? We need friendly, outgoing volunteers to welcome people to our event stands and help them participate in activities such as surveys, raffles, and competitions. You will be told about the latest projects the charity is working towards and be briefed on the animals in need of new homes, so that you can talk with confidence about how we are helping animals in Suffolk. You will also meet and spend time with other members of the events team including staff, volunteers, and trustees, meaning you will truly be a part of the RSPCA Suffolk Central family.

Coffee Shop Volunteers

We need friendly, efficient volunteers to help serve coffee and cakes, greet customers, and keep the area clean and tidy at our new coffee shop in Bury St Edmunds on the Bartons Retail Park. The coffee machine is easy to use with a push-button function, and all food comes pre-prepared, so no specialist skills are required. You will be spending time in a bright, welcoming environment and helping to generate funds for animals in need of rescue and rehoming. Great for work experience, broadening your skills, or giving some time back to a cause you love.

Volunteer Spotlight On Tracey Colchester Home Visitor (Pictured)           

“I have volunteered as a home visitor for many years. I visit people to check out the suitability of their dwelling, and visit afterwards to see how their new family member has settled in.

It has been a delight getting to meet so many people and animals, and in so many different places. I’ve visited mansions and small flats. But all these places look like home to me.

The common theme is that the people adopting animals are always of the same mindset. They always have amazing tales to tell of animals they have taken in in the past, or friends they have lost and seek to replace. Or just a desire to help a distressed or lonely creature.  Many share the joy of finding a new companion and friend.

I have met people who were delightfully eccentric, elderly people who were lonely, and children in need of a playmate. There have only been a few occasions where I have felt the place was unsuitable for this animal. Almost always I’ve been able to help unite people with their perfect pet.

It’s never a chore. I think the only problem is that I often want to take the animal home with me instead!”