Question 1

President

Accepted Answer

The President of the Association will also be President of the body of representation (Junta).

The President has the following responsibilities:

Management and legal representation of the Association, by delegation of the General Assembly and of the body of representation (Junta).
The President manages and directs the debates of the organs of government and of representation.
Signs the calls for the meetings of the General Assembly and the organ of representation (Junta).
Countersigns the minutes and the certificates made by the Secretary of the Association.
The remaining powers inherent to the post and those delegated to it by the General Assembly or the representative body (Junta).

The President will be substituted, in case of absence or illness, by the Vice President or a member of the Junta.

The President of the Association will also be President of the Body Of Representation (Junta).

Question 2

Candidate 1: Christine Thorpe

Accepted Answer

I have been a volunteer at APROP since I arrived in Spain in 2017. It had been a lifelong ambition to work with animals and APROP has given me the opportunity to do that in an environment that helps animals in need.

I initially could not decide whether to volunteer with cats or dogs, but as I had more experience with cats, and the cattery at that time desperately needed volunteers, it seemed the best choice. I have occasionally helped out with housekeeping for the dogs so am also familiar with how things work on that side too.

From initially being a general volunteer with the cats, I realised that there was more I could do to help the organisation. Initially I structured the promotional activities for getting cats adopted. My husband and I created a new website for APROP to give us a stronger platform to communicate with the world. I then took over as cattery manager. This allowed me to put hygiene and quarantine protocols in place, which did not exist previously in the cattery, and create an adoption team and fostering team. Volunteer meetings were held for the first time to try to create a sense of community and joint responsibility. I project managed the rebuilding of the cattery.

I was then invited to become a member of the Junta team. Again it was apparent to me that more structure was required to help APROP become a more efficient organisation and a better place for the animals and the volunteers. There were also some legal issues relating to the incorporation of the Association and Junta, and the lack of a lease contract with our landholder that needed to be urgently addressed. I proposed a new management structure for the Junta and the organisation generally, and this was used as the basis for the first ever legal election of the Junta team by the Members. I was elected as President of APROP and Cat Operations Director, roles that I have held now since 2021. I have also been a member of the Fundraising team for the past three years.

A huge amount has been achieved by the management team of APROP over the past three years. The organisation is unrecognisable both in terms of the physical structures of the shelter, and also in the way that the shelter is managed. It is a better, safer place than it was previously, and much more capable of helping more cats and dogs than ever before. But there are still things that need to be done to ensure the security of the association for the future, particularly relating to the legal status of the shelter, and the tenuous relationship we have with some of our immediate neighbours. At the moment I believe I may be the best person to help APROP navigate through these problems and try to find solutions. But I will happily stand aside if somebody else feels that they can take this forward.

I have learnt a lot since I started volunteering with APROP almost seven years ago. This includes best management practices for animal shelters and the legalities of animal welfare in Spain. I have extensive experience of managing multi-national and multi-lingual organisations and running my own business. My main business strengths are administrative organisation, marketing, sales, managing teams, training and helping people develop their capabilities. The other personal strength I have which I have had to call on often over the past few years is perseverance and resilience. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is that anybody coming into a Junta role in a voluntary organisation like APROP, needs to be able to cope with the difficulties associated with having all the responsibility to deal with issues that arise related to people, which are continuous and can often feel very personal. The animals are the easy part. You need very broad shoulders to carry this for any length of time.

My top priority is to ensure and protect the future of APROP by resolving the legal status of the shelter in its current location, or by finding an alternative solution.
Other priorities include liaising and collaborating with other local protectoras and Ayuntamientos to ensure that no animals in need are left without anybody to help them, but that the Ayuntamientos responsible cover at least some of the costs incurred.

Education continues to be a priority for me. We have reached some initial arrangements with the Pego Ayuntamiento about how we can collaborate to publicise and educate the local population about street cats and sterilising and chipping their pets. There is much more we can do, and I would like to register APROP as an official “Collaborating Entity” which means that we will have access to other resources and grants to help us do this.

Animals are the priority I think for all of us who volunteer at APROP. But the people are just as important to me. I will continue to look for new or better ways to recruit and retain volunteers as, unless we have sufficient volunteers willing to do the work, we can’t continue to operate.

I will also continue to promote and protect the physical and mental safety and welfare of every animal and person who comes to APROP.

Many of you already know me, some volunteers in the dog team perhaps less so, but I am very open to having a private conversation if you would like to get to know me or ask me any questions.

Question 3

Treasurer

Accepted Answer

The Treasurer has the following responsibilities:

The custody and monitoring of the financial resources and assets of the Association.
The preparation of the quarterly and annual budget for the Association.
The balance and settlement of accounts for the Association.
Maintain the financial books of the Association.
The presentation of the above to the Junta, as is determined in Article 17 of the Association’s Statutes.
The presentation of the above to the Annual General Assembly, as is determined in Article 17 of the Association’s Statutes.
Record and track all donations made to or by the Association.
Record and track any and all other payments made or received by the association.
He/she will ensure all transactions are appropriately receipted.
Sign all documents produced by or on behalf of the Treasury.
Pay bills according to pre-approved budgets, as approved by majority vote of the Junta or by direct approval of the President.

The Treasure must draft and present for review and approval, all financial information required by external organisations and authorities, to comply with all necessary laws and procedures. Once approval is obtained, the Treasurer must then submit these statements in the appropriate format to the appropriate organisation. Note that such submissions may be required to be performed electronically and must be completed within the required schedules..

Question 4

Candidate 1: John Durrant

Accepted Answer

I have never formally volunteered with APROP. I have supported and assisted others since 2008 with both LAPs and now APROP in the collection/delivery of dogs/cats, the collection/delivery and distribution of food/materials etcetera, assistance at fund raising events and general driving duties.

I wish to help improve the lives/conditions for all the animals at APROP. I ran various financial accounts during my 20 years in the Army. I was a senior administrator throughout my army service.

My priority would be to ensure the financial accounts of APROP are maintained to a high standard as they have been in the past and and to ensure continuity and stability in the role of Treasurer.

I have lived in Pego for over 20 years. I am retired and have the time to administer the accounts. We have 3 failed foster APROP dogs.

Question 5

Secretary

Accepted Answer

The Secretary has the following responsibilities:

Collate and issue all formal Association documents, as required by Royal Edict and/or according to Association rules.
On request by the President or the General Assembly, arrange and convene the General Assembly Meeting.
Write and sign the minutes of the General Assembly Meeting.
On request by the President or as required by the pre-agreed schedule, arrange and convene the Junta meetings.
Write and sign the minutes of the Junta.
Ensure all necessary certifications are prepared, reviewed, finalised and submitted to all appropriate bodies (internal or external) according to the required timescales.
Collate and manage all legal and contractual documents, ensuring compliance with all internal and external requirements.
Collate and maintain an up-to-date record of all current and past Members or the Association. The Secretary must provide this list, as and when required to appropriate external organisations.
Work with the Treasurer to ensure all financial records relating to the Members are correct and complete.
Receive and action all Data Protection and GDPR requests for the Association.

Question 6

Candidate 1: Elizabeth Canham

Accepted Answer

I have volunteered since July 2022 as feeder/cleaner/carer for the cats. I am aware that the previous Secretary has resigned and I want to contribute to the ongoing welfare of the animals under our care.

I spent the last 21 years of my working life employed by a large defence communications company in the UK, initially in an administrative role, rising ultimately to divisional Head of Procurement. In that time I was responsible for record keeping, creating and maintaining a computer database, correspondence, contract negotiation and organising, attending and minuting meetings.

Although not specific to the Secretary's role, I would like to see a drive to attract more volunteers, improve the conditions for the animals and volunteers and increase funding, hopefully to enlarge the accommodation for the cats which is currently very crowded. I have been President and Treasurer of a local art group for several years. However, shrinking numbers mean that it no longer takes up very much of my time. I also help out running a local padel group. I enjoy playing tennis and padel and try to keep fit. I like to socialise but also enjoy my own company watching TV, reading and painting, my speciality being animals in pastel.

Question 7

Operations Director (Dogs)

Accepted Answer

The Operations Director has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the day to day management and running of the dog / cat shelters, according to the pre-agreed budget approved by the Junta.

This includes the following responsibilities:

Volunteer recruitment and training
Volunteer management, including the creation and maintenance of weekly volunteer rotas
Animal accommodation allocation within the shelter
Maintain a record of all animals entering and leaving the shelter
To ensure that behavioural assessments are carried out for all animals and that remedial measures are recommended and implemented, where appropriate.
To ensure all animals that may pose a risk to themselves, other animals or humans are identified and assessed and if appropriate, registered with the appropriate bodies. In such cases, to ensure that volunteers are also given appropriate training and procedures to ensure their safety around such animals.
Site maintenance
Inventory management
Project management of special projects or initiatives, as allocated by the Board Of Directors.
The creation, implementation and maintenance of Health & Safety standards for all Volunteers.
The creation and maintenance of an Operations Guide for all elements of day to day operations.

Question 8

Candidate 1: Tony Holmes

Accepted Answer

I have volunteered at Aprop for just over one year. My initial idea was to give up one morning each week and join the team of dog walkers at Aprop. However it soon became apparent that I enjoyed walking the dogs very much and one morning each week soon became many more. Gradually as I began to understand my role better, I realised that rehabilitation of the dogs was another avenue to explore and over time the satisfaction from doing that is both exciting and fulfilling. Volunteering at Aprop has become a significant part of my life and that of my wife Jackie. Furthermore I have met and become friends with so many like minded people at Aprop which all adds to the absolute pleasure of volunteering.

Becoming the Operations Director for the dog section motivates me in several ways. Firstly I am very aware of the excellent work carried out by Moira previously and I will do my best to uphold those existing high standards. Moreover I welcome the opportunity of learning on the job and knowing I have friends alongside me on that journey. Another big motivation is to try and reduce the administrative workload across the dog section by focusing on communications. Finally because I do go into Aprop a lot and I am an acute observer, I want to unleash the creative potential that exists within our volunteer family.

The experience and skills I would bring to the role of Operations Director are very broad based which should be useful in allowing me to observe and understand what is required in a range of situations. My first career for ten years was in a disciplined service as a full time firefighter. I left the service to run my own photography business for over thirty years. Alongside my professional roles I have volunteered in the education sector for over twenty years, serving as a governor, vice chair of governors, chair of governors and director of an academy trust. Collectively my experience has prepared me to be an effective communicator and planner. I don't like terms such as man management, I see myself more as a team player who tries to bring out the best in colleagues. On the practical side I am usually quite fit and enjoy exercise, I am a qualified climbing instructor. I enjoy DIY and am very hands on, I really like working on projects with friends and sharing the joy and satisfaction of a job well done.

The top of my priority list if I were to become operations director would be to oversee the formation of functional committees. These are essentially the same as the functional management roles with a slight difference. The functional management roles would still exist but these functional managers would oversee a committee of at least one other person. Furthermore these committees would have the power to co-opt additional members as the need arises. For example during a crisis or building project, specialist or non specialist help could be drafted in to meet the demands of the situation. I would also like to add a further management/committee role to the three already proposed. This fourth committee would be a combined health and safety / premises committee. This committee would obviously be involved with all things premises, such as repairs and maintenance and building projects. Additionally this committee would be concerned with human health and safety with a remit to report on and improve any and all aspects that present a danger to volunteers. I would also like each committee to write its own terms of reference for submission to the Junta for amendment and or ratification. I would expect these committees to work autonomously within their agreed terms of reference subject only to financial restrictions. My next priority would be undertaking a skills audit whereby volunteers can declare their skills and experience and most importantly where they think their particular interest lies and how this could be beneficial to Aprop. This is part of a wider desire to make volunteers aware just how much we rely upon and value what they bring to Aprop. No voice goes unheard might be the best way to describe this. Another priority would be to consult with Junta colleagues with a view to writing simple to follow action plans for any perceived crisis that might befall Aprop. The recent Parvo crisis was a case in point. I think if we had an action plan for Parvo in place at that time it would have brought clarity and reassurance to all stakeholders. There are other circumstances requiring action plans such as fire, flood and severe weather and how we evacuate quickly in these circumstances. All this should be ready in advance and updated annually.

Rather than bore people with historical things about me I would rather tell you about what I have learned in my life and what I believe in. I believe strongly in community and the fact we are stronger together. I believe in compassion and not being afraid to show that softer side it is a strength not a weakness. You derive more satisfaction from the things you do without monetary reward. Real friends exist in the areas you are personally invested in. Animals are sentient beings and should have the same rights to life and health as human beings. People can do amazing things if they work together and the cause is worthwhile.

Question 9

Operations Director (Cats)

Accepted Answer

The Operations Director has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the day to day management and running of the dog / cat shelters, according to the pre-agreed budget approved by the Junta.

This includes the following responsibilities:

Volunteer recruitment and training
Volunteer management, including the creation and maintenance of weekly volunteer rotas
Animal accommodation allocation within the shelter
Maintain a record of all animals entering and leaving the shelter
To ensure that behavioural assessments are carried out for all animals and that remedial measures are recommended and implemented, where appropriate.
To ensure all animals that may pose a risk to themselves, other animals or humans are identified and assessed and if appropriate, registered with the appropriate bodies. In such cases, to ensure that volunteers are also given appropriate training and procedures to ensure their safety around such animals.
Site maintenance
Inventory management
Project management of special projects or initiatives, as allocated by the Board Of Directors.
The creation, implementation and maintenance of Health & Safety standards for all Volunteers.
The creation and maintenance of an Operations Guide for all elements of day to day operations.

Question 10

Candidate 1: Christine Thorpe

Accepted Answer

I have been a volunteer at APROP since I arrived in Spain in 2017. It had been a lifelong ambition to work with animals and APROP has given me the opportunity to do that in an environment that helps animals in need.
From initially being a general volunteer with the cats, I realised that there was more I could do to help the organisation. Initially I structured the promotional activities for getting cats adopted. My husband and I created a new website for APROP to give us a stronger platform to communicate with the world. I then took over as cattery manager. This allowed me to put hygiene and quarantine protocols in place, which did not exist previously in the cattery, and create an adoption team and fostering team. Volunteer meetings were held for the first time to try to create a sense of community and joint responsibility. I project managed the rebuilding of the cattery.

I was then invited to become a member of the Junta team. Again it was apparent to me that more structure was required to help APROP become a more efficient organisation and a better place for the animals and the volunteers. There were also some legal issues relating to the incorporation of the Association and Junta, and the lack of a lease contract with our landholder that needed to be urgently addressed. I proposed a new management structure for the Junta and the organisation generally, and this was used as the basis for the first ever legal election of the Junta team by the Members. I was elected as President of APROP and Cat Operations Director, roles that I have held now since 2021. I have also been a member of the Fundraising team for the past three years.

I find the work we do for the cats very rewarding and am immensely proud of how much the cat team have achieved over the past few years. While I am frustrated that I can no longer do as much physically as I have done previously, I hope that I can help and support the team in other ways that will continue to grow our success in helping cats and provide an environment where the volunteers also feel valued.

I now have several years of hands-on experience of running the APROP cattery. During that time I have done a lot of research and investigation into best practice methods and the legalities of animal welfare in Spain and have learnt a lot from my experiences. I am happy to share that knowledge with volunteers who are interested.

I have extensive business experience of managing multi-national and multi-lingual organisations and running my own business. My main business experience and strengths are administrative organisation, marketing, sales, managing teams, training and helping people develop their capabilities. The other personal strength I have which I have had to call on often over the past few years is perseverance and resilience.

The priority is always to provide the best environment and care for animals that come to APROP and find them the best possible outcome as quickly as possible.
Recruitment and retention of volunteers is important, particularly at the moment as we do not have enough people to operate properly, both in the cattery and also in foster care.

The cattery expansion plan that was put on hold last year is a priority this year, although there are still some obstacles that we need to overcome related to the legality of our site. We were put under significant pressure last year because of lack of space to manage new arrivals and take back older kittens from foster homes. Therefore having additional space to manage the cats and kittens properly is essential. If we are not able to build the proposed extension, then we may need to look for other solutions.

Question 11

Functional Manager

Accepted Answer

If you are currently fulfilling one of APROP’s functional management roles listed below, you may choose to apply for election to the Junta:

Shelter Manager
Health & Welfare Manager
Adoption & Foster Manager
Fundraising Manager

Question 12

Candidate 1: Tere Sendra Almela

Accepted Answer

I have been an APROP volunteer for 8 years and a APROP Junta member for 3 years (including two years as the APROP director of animal health and welfare). My motivation is to help animals and give them a good quality of life while they are at APROP and help as much as you can. I am a person who spends many hours at the shelter and also rescues abandoned animals.

Question 13

Candidate 2: Theresa Harrison

Accepted Answer

I have been involved in fundraising and organizing events for APROP for 18 months. APROP was previously LAPS and I helped raise funds for them in the past. I have resurrected the secondhand Bookstall in Pego Market and also help to organise a fortnightly quiz.

As well as increasing income via fundraising I would also like to assist in streamlining operations and improving communication to raise awareness of the importance of APROP.

I managed a conference centre with conference halls, meeting and private dining rooms in the City of London.
At that time, I was also the only non-celebrity member on the Committee of Stage for Age - helping find venues and organize events in the City and the West End of London to raise money for Help the Aged.

I would like to continue to organize events to raise much-needed funds for APROP. Also my aim is to recruit more Corporate and private Sponsors.

In the past I have played tennis, squash, racquetball and padel. I also enjoyed skiing and travelling around Spain in a motorhome/caravan. Currently I enjoy walking, swimming and socializing. After I get my new hip I hope to return to playing padel!

Question 14

Vocal

Accepted Answer

You may apply for election as a Vocal if you have been invited to apply for election by the current Junta as a Vocal and/or have some specific skills or expertise, or can bring some other benefit to the Association that does not currently exist in the Junta that will be tangibly useful for the Association and its management. Candidates for election as vocals must be proposed and supported by three existing Associate Members who have been Members for at least one year.

Question 15

Candidate 1: Karlijn Durville

Accepted Answer

I have been volunteering since may 2022. First as housekeeping, at the moment I also do the administration, I am part of the adoption team, the health team and have joined the last 4 junta meetings.

I would like to continue what I do at the moment and help APROP being even more successful in taking care of the dogs and getting them the right medical care and forever homes.

I have experience in process approvement, budgeting, financial analysis and I am creative.

My top priorities would be to simplify our processes, find ways to keep everyone informed without bombarding them with messages and get a better view of our income and costs.