Name: Rae
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I have been a graphic designer for the last 14 years or so, working in magazine publishing and government departments. Three years ago I finished a degree in Communications to complement my graphic design skills. I’m a Sydney girl by birth and inclination, but moved to Cairns with my husband last April to try out a completely different lifestyle in a regional, tropical area.
I’ve had three cats in my life, Toffee, who I got as a six week old kitten. She loved car trips so we used to take her to the beach some mornings and have a BBQ bacon and eggs breakfast. She eventually died at the grand old age of 18 years. We got Leo (black-brown ragamuffin) and Roswell (a cheeky fearless ginger cat) at the same time around 2011, from a friend who was moving to Melbourne and couldn’t take them. They were about 18 months old, so small we could fit both in the cat carrier. Roswell died last year of kidney disease, and Leo is living with us in Cairns and going strong at 11 years old.
What is your position at Furry Friends Animal Rescue Queensland?
I’m the social team lead. I do a bit of everything – fundraising campaigns, Facebook posts, graphic design when needed, provide advice as well.
When did you start volunteering at Furry Friends? Around June 2018.
Why did you start volunteering? I was unemployed at the time, and we had also just arrived in Cairns we didn’t know many people. I was a bit bored so thought I’d do some volunteering. I originally applied to be a pet profile writer but was asked me to take over the website instead.
What do you find the most rewarding about volunteering about Furry Friends?
Being a small charity and mostly home-based, it provides a lot of opportunity to try new techniques in the communications space. I’m pleased with my redesign of the website, that has made it more engaging and useful. I’ve also learnt a lot about the website hosting platform and the various apps and website tools available. The role has evolved since I started last year, and I have increased the communications team from two to now seven. I find working with the new people very rewarding - I’m really pleased with how the team is working with each other to improve Furry Friends ARQ‘s profile and implement ideas into reality. It’s also interesting to see other people’s skills and knowledge in action.
What are the different ways in which people can help Furry Friends?
There is a variety of ways that can help the charity out, but some are reliant on a volunteer's location. Because the charity is based in Brisbane, foster carers need to be located there, as well as people who volunteer to transport cats between locations. Physical fundraising events (such as BBQs, pet shows, etc) would achieve more in Brisbane as people are more likely to donate to a local charity, so the people who run those would also need to be located in South East Brisbane. However, there are plenty of volunteer positions that are virtual and not restricted geographically. Administration, HR, booking vet appointments, online fundraising and FFARQ promotion through Instagram, Facebook, website and newsletters can be done when and from wherever a volunteer is located, which gives a lot of freedom.
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I have been a graphic designer for the last 14 years or so, working in magazine publishing and government departments. Three years ago I finished a degree in Communications to complement my graphic design skills. I’m a Sydney girl by birth and inclination, but moved to Cairns with my husband last April to try out a completely different lifestyle in a regional, tropical area.
I’ve had three cats in my life, Toffee, who I got as a six week old kitten. She loved car trips so we used to take her to the beach some mornings and have a BBQ bacon and eggs breakfast. She eventually died at the grand old age of 18 years. We got Leo (black-brown ragamuffin) and Roswell (a cheeky fearless ginger cat) at the same time around 2011, from a friend who was moving to Melbourne and couldn’t take them. They were about 18 months old, so small we could fit both in the cat carrier. Roswell died last year of kidney disease, and Leo is living with us in Cairns and going strong at 11 years old.
What is your position at Furry Friends Animal Rescue Queensland?
I’m the social team lead. I do a bit of everything – fundraising campaigns, Facebook posts, graphic design when needed, provide advice as well.
When did you start volunteering at Furry Friends? Around June 2018.
Why did you start volunteering? I was unemployed at the time, and we had also just arrived in Cairns we didn’t know many people. I was a bit bored so thought I’d do some volunteering. I originally applied to be a pet profile writer but was asked me to take over the website instead.
What do you find the most rewarding about volunteering about Furry Friends?
Being a small charity and mostly home-based, it provides a lot of opportunity to try new techniques in the communications space. I’m pleased with my redesign of the website, that has made it more engaging and useful. I’ve also learnt a lot about the website hosting platform and the various apps and website tools available. The role has evolved since I started last year, and I have increased the communications team from two to now seven. I find working with the new people very rewarding - I’m really pleased with how the team is working with each other to improve Furry Friends ARQ‘s profile and implement ideas into reality. It’s also interesting to see other people’s skills and knowledge in action.
What are the different ways in which people can help Furry Friends?
There is a variety of ways that can help the charity out, but some are reliant on a volunteer's location. Because the charity is based in Brisbane, foster carers need to be located there, as well as people who volunteer to transport cats between locations. Physical fundraising events (such as BBQs, pet shows, etc) would achieve more in Brisbane as people are more likely to donate to a local charity, so the people who run those would also need to be located in South East Brisbane. However, there are plenty of volunteer positions that are virtual and not restricted geographically. Administration, HR, booking vet appointments, online fundraising and FFARQ promotion through Instagram, Facebook, website and newsletters can be done when and from wherever a volunteer is located, which gives a lot of freedom.
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