What will happen at Cats Protection's AGM in 2011.

Cats Protection's Chief Executive Peter Hepburn offers an insight into the planning behind the charity's AGM.

I met with many of the other animal charities recently at the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH). The charities do work well together in our sector, which is so important. We carry out a huge variety of local joint work right across the country. Our supporters expect that, and I’m sure that the animals benefit. Nick Edmans, our Director of Communications came with me as Cats Protection will be hosting a major animal welfare conference next year and we wanted to promote the event and consult others on the content.

Now we have the AGM coming up at the National Cat Centre on Saturday 16 July. To save on costs and time we also have meetings of our Board of Trustees and Council on the Friday and Saturday morning. They are all volunteers and have to arrange for their branch work etc to keep going when they come to visit the centre. It will be a busy time, with lots of people coming here from right across the country. Great!

Then on Sunday there will be a Summer Fun Day here, run by the National Cat Adoption Centre. I keep hearing snippets about it… who’s got a gazebo we can borrow? Here’s a bottle for the stall…. have you really got a bouncy castle, tractor rides, face painting and a dance troupe all happening? Awesome! The answer to that one was yes, and more! The cat care folk will be doing tours of the centre all weekend. We hope that it’ll mean we find some more homes. Homing could do with a boost at the moment. There are so many lovely cats who would be made so happy if they can get into a home. It breaks my heart.

Anyway, it will be a busy time and I know I’ll see lots of good friends of the charity...