From left: Kathrin Porter, Heavens Gate Manager, Brian Jones, Heavens Gate Maintenance, Chris Peak, HR Champions, Patricia Fraser, Executive Director National Animal Welfare Trust

Far from ‘Dolittle’ the Watford-based, National Animal Welfare Trust has been expanding continuously during the past thirty years and now employs over 67 staff across the country.

With a growing workforce and an increasing stream of Government Human Resources legislation to comply with, Patricia Fraser, Executive Director, called in Chris Peake from HR Champions, to run a seminar on Health and Safety for the charity’s shop co-ordinator and centre managers.

The event was held at the charity’s Heavens Gate Farm, Langport, which specialises in the rescue and re-homing of cats, dogs and small animals. Each of the ten management participants was awarded a certificate on completion of the course. Topics covered during the session included Health and Safety and the Law, Lifting and Handling, Fire Safety and Risk assessment.

“The seminar was really useful,” says Patricia Fraser, “It brought out many areas where managers and staff were facing the same issues in different locations and it was so helpful to be able to talk through areas of concern with an HR professional.” In fact, so successful was the event that the National Animal Welfare Trust is hoping to run another one on a related topic in the near future. “We have been dealing with HR Champions since September,” explains Patricia, “Chris is always extremely helpful and happy to answer points or questions on the telephone, whenever I call her.”