WANTED – Volunteer Missing Pets Officer
Thatcham Town Radio has an urgent requirement to add a compassionate, organised and caring animal lover to its team.
Cases of lost or stolen pets in West Berkshire are on the increase and as a community organisation, Thatcham Town Radio is committed to helping those who have become separated from their beloved pets to be reunited with them ASAP.
The volunteer will be an integral part of the Thatcham Town Radio team with a special responsibility for working on cases of missing pets. The main duties will be to respond to reports from owners of missing pets, logging these cases on our internal systems, posting lost notices on the main website and on our social media channels. The volunteer will also scan local web sites and social media looking for cases of missing pets, approaching the owners and offering help. In addition to posting reports online, the volunteer may also have the opportunity to create regular on-air bulletins with their own voice creating a round-up of local missing pet cases.
You will be an animal lover and have the ability to develop trust and have empathy with owners who have lost their pets. Working with the owner, you will obtain details of the pet, pictures and document the circumstances of the animal’s disappearance. You will keep in regular contact with the owner until the pet is found safe and well or the outcome is otherwise determined.
You will be good at building relationships with and co-operating with outside organisations including local veterinary surgeons, Councils, the Police, RSPCA, animal charities and Drone Pet SAR (search and rescue). You may also be liaising with other local media organisations such as newspapers, magazines and broadcasters.
The scope of this job is not just limited to cats and dogs; you could find yourself dealing with lost birds, tortoises, rabbits, reptiles, hamsters and other rodents.
We are looking for a friendly and personable pet lover first and foremost. Full training will be offered in writing for radio and digital media will be given and you will be supported as you learn to use our internal systems. For those with enthusiasm, you will learn how to create a report for radio, editing and uploading it for broadcast.
The volunteer will meet with pet owners and representatives from other voluntary organisations, agencies, clubs and official agencies but will not be required to be directly involved in the search for animals or be required to handle or have direct contact with any animals.
A secondary role will be to help promote the Lost Pets Service to the local community including local agencies, charities, clubs and official bodies and increase the awareness of the Thatcham Town Radio Missing Pets Service and how we can help anyone who has a missing pet. We may in the future launch initiatives to help prevent the loss and theft of pets and work with other organisations to offer advice and technology to owners to help them protect their pets.
The commitment required for this voluntary role will be approximately 8 hours per month, working flexibly as needed from home using your own computer.
Thatcham Town Radio has policies on equal opportunities, inclusiveness, health & safety, a code of conduct and safeguarding procedures which apply to all volunteers, staff, and directors. We pride ourselves in encouraging our people to learn and develop skills and provide amazing training opportunities to help everyone be their best.
You will be working within a team culture of creative people with a can-do attitude who constantly strive for quality and excellence in everything we do. We work hard for our community and we also play hard so you will be invited to social events, visits to big media organisations and for those who are energetic, there will be occasionally indoor and outdoor sporting activities. Being part of Thatcham Town Radio is rewarding and fun so come and join us!
If you would like to become our newest team member, please email our Executive Producer, Stephen West stephen@thatchamtownradio.uk