Cheltenham Animal Shelter, an organisation that has been supporting animals since 1926, has benefitted greatly from expert guidance and support from the Battersea Academy, since attending their first Academy learning opportunity in 2018.
After attending the Residential Week, staff from Cheltenham Animal Shelter returned with new tools and skills to make a positive change for not only the dogs in their care, but also their staff.
As well as the practical and hands on animal welfare sessions, Cheltenham staff attended the Protecting Your Reputation session, run by experts from Battersea’s PR and Social Media teams, specifically designed to offer attendees an insight into Battersea’s approach to public relations, press coverage and running social media channels. The course included tips on how to navigate crises and negative press and social media interactions, with examples of challenges that Battersea has faced.
Ideas were also shared on how staff and volunteers can all play a part in maintaining the reputation of an organisation and on how to remain resilient and avoid burn out in the face of negative situations.
After attending the course, Cheltenham staff conducted a major overhaul of their Social Media Draft Policy, adding new guidelines such as the importance of positively highlighting larger dog breeds in social media posts and not overusing brachycephalic dogs, unless to draw attention to the health challenges that flat faced breeds encounter. They have also adapted social media posts to ensure that they use more positive and inclusive language, making posts accessible to a wider audience.
“We would relive the Academy Residential Week tomorrow if we could, as it was so inspiring and a fantastic week. It’s so collaborative and a place to exchange ideas.”
– Nicky Merifield, Operations Manager at Cheltenham Animal Shelter
