Cats Protection appoints new interim head
Pictured: Charles Darley, the new interim head of Cats Protection.
Cats Protection, the cat welfare charity, has appointed a new interim chief executive, along with three new trustees.
Charles Darley, who has much experience in the not-for-profit sector, including chief executive and senior leadership roles in the Church of England, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), Open University, Virgin Media and Royal Mail, has taken over the role of chief executive from James Yeates.
Linda Upson, chair of Cats Protection, commented on the appointment: “It’s a pleasure to announce the appointment of Charles who has a track record of leading growth and transformation across more than a dozen charities, after a career leading business transformation as a marketing and strategy director in a number of FTSE-listed companies.
“As an experienced interim, he has committed to leading the organisation for the next 12 months and define the details of the delivery plan for the first stage in our 10-year strategy.”
Charles, a self-described 'enthusiastic cat owner', commented on the significance of cats in reducing stress and loneliness: “During the Covid lockdowns, cats have become increasingly important to the nation’s mental health.
“However, 4.5m cats still show some signs of stress themselves so I’m delighted to play a part in helping owners understand how to improve their cats’ wellbeing and welfare.”
Cats Protection has also appointed three new trustees, media expert Amanda Farnsworth, chief executive of Warwick Students' Union Rob Parkinson, and fellow chartered accountant Sarah Hunt, who is currently head of Audit UK & Ireland for IAG.
Linda added: “We’re excited to have this new group of experts join the charity and bring their unique talents and perspectives.
“Together they will help continue to position Cats Protection as the UK’s leading cat welfare charity.”
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
