Foreword

It has been four years since we launched our ambitious strategy Together for Animal Welfare and in that time a huge amount has changed: for animals, for people and in the world around us. Our 200th anniversary in 2024 was an incredibly proud moment for us and a key opportunity to reflect. We marked this not only with the launch of our bold new brand, but also with a refresh of our strategy, giving us a chance to refocus and respond to new opportunities and challenges in a way that will help us deliver real and lasting change for animals.

I’m delighted to share our Business Plan 2025, which builds on the strong foundations of our achievements since the launch of our strategy and reaffirms the unique role we have to play to inspire everyone – individuals, branches, communities, partners, industry and governments – here and around the world to create a better world for every animal.

In 2025 we're moving forward with refreshed strategic priorities.

Rescue and Care continues to be at the heart of our organisation. We are committed to delivering leading and consistent welfare standards for every animal. We are prioritising our frontline rescue work on cruelty and neglect, and empowering people, communities and organisations to help more animals.
Advocacy and Prevention have become one priority. Our prevention and education work runs through everything we do. We know we can make a bigger impact for more animals by changing attitudes, laws and behaviours through advocacy and prevention.
Impact is a new priority that highlights our focus on measuring our achievements, on access to data and insight, and on making evidence-based decisions. This will help people better understand the work we do and allow us to demonstrate our effectiveness.
Engagement replaces Support as a priority, to reflect that our relationships and partnerships are reciprocal and lasting. We will offer our expertise to others and learn from them, in turn.
Organisational Effectiveness remains the same and reflects our progress and continued commitment to becoming a great place to work and an inclusive, sustainable organisation, powered by digital.

We recognise that the world is a very different place to when we launched our strategy. From the growth of low-welfare farming to the loss of wildlife habitats, from climate change to the cost-of-living crisis, the challenges facing animals are bigger than ever. We know that the future of animals, people and the planet are inextricably linked: what is good for animals is good for us all. But these issues are complex, they cross borders and sectors and can’t be solved in isolation. So, the central message of our strategy is clearer than ever: the RSPCA can’t achieve its ambitions for animals by working alone.

We have built strong and resilient foundations and are developing our environmental, social and governance ambitions: driving forward how we prioritise environmental sustainability through our new Environment Plan; continuing to improve our strong governance and leadership; and growing the RSPCA as a great and inclusive place to work and volunteer through our People Plan. All of which sets us on the path to having a greater impact on animals.

I’m excited to welcome the next phase of our strategy delivery and to share this business plan for 2025 with you.

Shān Nicholas
Interim Chief Executive