The RSPCA is looking for volunteers to lend a hand in looking after its cats, rabbits, and more across Greater Manchester.
If you’ve ever wished that cuddling and caring for animals could be a hobby for you, then that could actually be a reality in 2022, as now that a new year is here, a number of volunteer roles have become available at the Manchester and Salford branch of the RSPCA.
In 2021 alone, the team had 624 animals admitted into their care, and saw 503 animals rehomed – 259 cats, 117 rabbits, and 127 smalls.
And you could be a valuable part of that rehoming process this year.
While the Eccles Road-based centre – which opened its doors back in July 2019 – may be a local branch of the RSPCA, it is also a separately-registered charity too – which means that it is required to raise all of its own funds to operate, and also relies on the help of volunteers for things such as cleaning and spending some quality time with the rescued animals to socialise them, so that once they get adopted, they’ll be more familiar with human company.
So, if you’ve got a bit of free time on your hands, and you’re looking to do a good deed, then these roles would be perfect for animal lovers.
No matter whether you’re looking to help out during the week or at weekends, or whether you’re flexible with your time and commitments, or you have a full time job, there’ll be an opportunity to suit you.
Volunteers will undertake comprehensive training.
The RSPCA is looking for volunteers to lend a hand across Greater Manchester this year / Credit: RSPCA Manchester & Salford
An advertisement for the volunteer positions by RSPCA Manchester & Salford reads: “Join our wonderful team of volunteers at our small animal centre in Salford.
“We are looking for folks who can commit to a weekly slot (a couple of roles are available fortnightly) for at least the next three months, and this is because a lot of time is taken training volunteers and so temporary placements are not manageable for us.”
For “insurance reasons”, RSPCA Manchester & Salford says it is looking for volunteers who are over 18 years of age, and and if you have any cats/dogs/rabbits or ferrets in your home, then they would need to be up to date with their vaccinations
This is said to be “for everyone’s safety”.
The roles on offer are:
Cattery Cleaning: 8:30am/9am start on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, either weekly or fortnightly.
Small Animal Room Cleaning: Start between 8:30am – 10am on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Cat Socialising: Anytime from 1pm until 4pm on Mondays – Fridays.
Rabbit Socialising: Anytime from 12:30pm until 4pm, seven days a week.
Volunteers will undertake comprehensive training for the variety of roles on offer / Credit: RSPCA Manchester & Salford
Fancy it then?
If you would like to join the volunteer team at RSPCA Manchester & Salford and help the animals, then you can email adoptions@rspca-manchesterandsalford.org.uk for more information.
Donations to RSPCA Manchester & Salford can be made here, and you can find more information about the centre here.
Featured Image – RSPCA
Trending
Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
Emily Sergeant -
17th January 2022 
