national animal welfare trust

What national animal welfare trust does

National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) is a UK registered charity (No. 1090499) founded in 1971 that operates animal rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming services through five physical centres across the south of England (Hertfordshire/Watford, Cornwall/Hayle, Berkshire/Great Shefford, Bedfordshire/Milton Keynes) plus a community outreach initiative in Clacton, alongside five charity shops. Its core offering centres on rehoming dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs with full veterinary preparation (neutering, vaccination, microchipping, and four weeks' free Petplan insurance) and an individualised adopter-matching process supported by post-adoption training and advice. The Clacton operation has been repositioned from kennel-based rehoming to a prevention-focused model delivering pet food banks, low-cost veterinary support, and financial hardship assistance.

The charity's revenue model is highly diversified across ten-plus streams: rehoming fees (£250 dogs, £120 cats, £65 rabbits, £30 guinea pigs), voluntary donations and monthly giving, a £6/month pet sponsorship scheme, a lottery operated with Unity & GiveCircle, legacy/wills giving, corporate volunteer days priced at £20-£30 per head, charity shop retail, an e-commerce shop powered by Shopify and operated through subsidiary AWT Trading Ltd, pet boarding at select centres, paddock hire in Berkshire and Cornwall, and a Buy-a-Brick campaign at Bedfordshire. Fundraising is anchored by annual galas such as the 2026 Hertfordshire Charity Gala at The Grove Hotel.

The technology foundation is entirely third-party SaaS—no proprietary platforms are operated. NAWT relies on Shopify for online retail, Blackbaud for donations and gala ticketing, JustGiving for peer-to-peer fundraising, CAF for payroll giving and vouchers, Access Pay Suite and GoCardless for direct debits, Microsoft OneDrive/Azure for storage, and Google Ad Grants for paid search. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: word-of-mouth, volunteer networks, fundraising galas, corporate team-building days, and centre-based engagement drive acquisition across adopter, donor, sponsor, and corporate partner segments.

Name

national animal welfare trust

Legal name

National Animal Welfare Trust

Website

https://nawt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Short description

National Animal Welfare Trust is a UK registered charity operating five rehoming centres and five charity shops across the south of England, rescuing and rehoming dogs, cats, and small animals while delivering community outreach, fundraising, and corporate engagement programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare and Rescue Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Pet rehoming services
• Animal welfare charity
• Pet boarding services
• Community pet support

Headquarters

HQ city

Watford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: NAWT generates significant revenue through voluntary donations from supporters, including one-off and regular monthly gifts. The charity runs Double Donations Weeks and other seasonal fundraising campaigns. Donations are processed through Blackbaud, CAF, PayPal, and JustGiving platforms.
2. Rehoming Fees: Fees charged when animals are rehomed to new owners. Prices vary by species: dogs £250, cats £120, rabbits £65, guinea pigs £30. Each rehomed animal includes veterinary care (vet-checked, wormed, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped) and four weeks free Petplan insurance.
3. Retail - Online Shop and Charity Shops: AWT Trading Ltd (wholly owned by NAWT) operates the online shop selling pet products, gifts, and merchandise. Additionally, five charity shops across the south of England sell pre-loved goods, fashion, books, toys, and pet supplies. All trading profits go directly to supporting animals in care.
4. Pet Boarding Services: NAWT offers pet boarding services at some centres (dogs, cats, and small animals) for paying customers. This generates revenue while raising awareness of the charity's mission.
5. Corporate Volunteer Days: Businesses pay £20-30 per head for team-building volunteer days at NAWT centres, which include guided tours, task activities (gardening, maintenance, enrichment), and animal interaction. Groups of up to 8 people are accommodated.
6. Sponsorship Programmes: Supporters can sponsor individual animals (dogs, cats, or small animals) for £6 per month, receiving a welcome pack, sponsorship card, certificate, newsletters, and occasional cards from the sponsored animal.
7. NAWT Lottery: The charity operates a lottery programme managed in partnership with Unity & GiveCircle, providing a regular income stream from participants.
8. Legacy Giving / Wills: Supporters are encouraged to leave gifts to NAWT in their Wills. The charity offers to act as executor or co-executor. Legacies can be specific sums (pecuniary), specific items, or residuary (remainder of estate).
9. Buy-a-Brick Campaign: At the Bedfordshire centre, commemorative bricks can be purchased for £50 (2-line) or £100 (4-line, up to 16 characters per line) with custom engraved messages. Proceeds fund centre improvements.
10. Paddock Hire: Secure, enclosed dog exercise fields available to hire at Berkshire and Cornwall centres, providing a safe space for dog owners to let dogs run free without distraction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) is a registered UK charity that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes homeless and abandoned animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs) through five rehoming centres across the south of England. It supports these services with foster care, pet boarding, charity shops, an online shop, animal sponsorship, corporate volunteer days, paddock hire, and a community outreach programme (NAWT Pet Support Clacton) providing pet food banks and low-cost veterinary support to owners in hardship.

Product overview

National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) operates as a single-platform animal welfare charity offering animal rehoming as its core product through five physical rehoming centres across the south of England (Hertfordshire/Watford, Cornwall/Hayle, Berkshire/Great Shefford, Bedfordshire/Milton Keynes, plus the Clacton community pet support initiative). The offering is structured as a unified platform of connected services: the core animal rescue and rehoming service is supported by a Foster Care Programme for temporary home-based care, Pet Boarding Services at centres, and Charity Shops for retail fundraising. Additional modules include Corporate Volunteer Days for team-building activities, Paddock Hire for secure dog exercise fields, a Pet Sponsorship Programme for monthly donor engagement, Animate Magazine as the official bi-annual publication, a Pet Care Card membership scheme, and community outreach via NAWT Pet Support in Clacton. Sub-brand offerings include the Buy-a-Brick commemorative programme at Bedfordshire, the Petplan Insurance Partnership providing free insurance to adopters, and the Stopford Cat Rescue Partnership for Manchester-area cat welfare. The portfolio is tied together through an online shop, donation portals, and fundraising initiatives including the Duke of Edinburgh Award fundraising programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Rehoming Services Rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of homeless and abandoned dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs across five rehoming centres in the south of England. Each animal is individually assessed and matched to adopters based on lifestyle, home environment, and specific animal needs. All rehomed animals are vet-checked, wormed, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and come with four weeks' free Petplan insurance.
• Foster Care Programme Foster caring programme allowing individuals to provide temporary home-based care for animals awaiting permanent rehoming, including cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Foster carers receive all supplies (food, bedding, toys, veterinary care) at no cost.
• Pet Boarding Services Pet boarding service offered at Hertfordshire (dogs, cats, small animals) and Cornwall (dogs and cats) centres, providing care for paying customers while raising funds for homeless animals.
• Charity Shops Five charity retail shops selling pre-loved goods, fashion, books, CDs, toys, homewares, electricals, pet products, gifts, and cards. Locations: Hayle, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Woburn Sands, and Leighton Buzzard. All profits go directly to supporting animals in NAWT's care.
• NAWT Online Shop Online shop selling pet products, NAWT merchandise, charity gifts, and accepting donations. Operated by AWT Trading Ltd (NAWT's wholly-owned trading subsidiary). UK and Europe delivery available, powered by Shopify. 30-day returns policy.
• Corporate Volunteer Days Team-building corporate volunteering days at NAWT centres including guided tours, outdoor tasks (gardening, maintenance), animal enrichment activities, and event preparation. Groups of up to 8 people per session, priced £20-30 per person.
• Paddock Hire Secure enclosed dog exercise fields available to hire at Berkshire and Cornwall centres, providing a distraction-free, safe space for dogs to run free and socialise.
• Pet Sponsorship Programme Monthly sponsorship programme at £6 per month allowing supporters to sponsor dogs, cats, or small animals. Sponsors receive a welcome pack (card, certificate, NAWT goodies), two exclusive sponsorship newsletters per year, and occasional cards from their sponsored animal.
• NAWT Pet Support - Clacton Community Community outreach programme providing pet food banks, low-cost veterinary services (microchipping, vaccinations, flea and worming treatments), financial assistance with neutering and vet bills, and transport to veterinary appointments for pet owners in the Clacton area facing financial hardship.
• Buy-a-Brick Campaign Commemorative brick purchase programme at the Bedfordshire centre allowing supporters to have personalised messages engraved. 2-line brick: £50. 4-line brick: £100 (up to 16 characters per line). Proceeds fund centre improvements.
• Pet Care Card Membership scheme providing ongoing support and benefits for pet owners who have adopted from NAWT.
• NAWT Lottery Regular lottery programme managed in partnership with Unity & GiveCircle, providing a recurring income stream from participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 450 pets rehomed annually at the Watford centre alone, with 63% of animals arriving as strays or abandoned locally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PetplancoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2026Petplan, the UK's number one pet insurer, is the insurance partner and reception sponsor for the NAWT Hertfordshire Charity Gala (September 2026). Petplan provides four weeks' free insurance for every animal rehomed through NAWT. Every dog, cat, and rabbit taken in by NAWT is rehomed with 4 weeks' free Petplan insurance.
• The Grove Hotel & SpaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2026The Grove Hotel & Spa in Watford is the venue partner for the NAWT Hertfordshire Charity Gala (September 2026). The event will be held at the Amber Suite, accommodating up to 380 guests.
• Marmax Recycling ProductsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025Following flooding at the Berkshire centre, Marmax Recycling Products donated flood-resistant, sustainable agility equipment to replace lost facilities. This partnership supports the centre's rehabilitation infrastructure.
• Clacton Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAWT Pet Support Clacton has established a partnership with Clacton Food Bank to provide pet food donations alongside food bank collections. The collaboration enables NAWT to reach more people and pets in the community, collecting and distributing pet food and supplies alongside the food bank's existing operations.
• Stopford Cat RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStopford Cat Rescue (registered charity 1178415) is a Greater Manchester-based volunteer-run cat rescue charity. Through the partnership, NAWT supports Stopford Cat Rescue's veterinary needs, enabling the team to help more stray, abandoned, and feral cats. Stopford Cat Rescue rehomes cats that are health checked, treated, microchipped, neutered, vaccinated, and insured with 4 weeks' free Petplan.
• Unity & GiveCirclecoreTechnology or IntegrationNAWT's Lottery programme is managed by Unity & GiveCircle, which processes lottery payments on behalf of the charity. This enables NAWT to run regular lottery draws as a fundraising mechanism.
• JustGivingcoreTechnology or IntegrationDonations and sponsorship pages in support of NAWT are handled by JustGiving. JustGiving processes donations, manages fundraising pages, and claims Gift Aid on NAWT's behalf where donors have agreed. Where supporters have not agreed to share data with NAWT, only the donation amount and message are received.
• BlackbaudcoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackbaud Merchant Services processes donations from the NAWT website. Blackbaud's privacy policy applies to data handling. NAWT also uses Blackbaud's donor platform for ticketing the Hertfordshire Charity Gala.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationThe NAWT online shop (for retail products and donations) is powered by Shopify. Payments and donations are processed through Shopify's platform.
• CAF (Charities Aid Foundation)coreTechnology or IntegrationCAF processes payroll giving, donations, and vouchers for NAWT. Where donors agree to share data, NAWT receives the details given to CAF.
• Access Pay Suite, GoCardlesscoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect Debit payments through the website and at NAWT centres are processed through Access Pay Suite and GoCardless, approved Bureau facilities. All data is encrypted and protected.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Cross: Blue Cross operates animal rehoming, veterinary and pet-care services while supporting pet owners through hardship and advice. Its combination of animal placement and clinical support is closely comparable to NAWT's integrated care and rehoming model.
• Dogs Trust: Dogs Trust is a UK animal-welfare charity focused on dog rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and owner support. It directly overlaps with NAWT's pet rehoming, community engagement and volunteer-based operating model.
• Cats Protection: Cats Protection is a national cat-welfare charity providing rescue, rehoming, neutering, advice and supporter programmes. It is a direct peer for NAWT's cat adoption, animal-care and public-engagement activities.
• Woodgreen, The Animals Charity: Woodgreen operates animal rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming services through physical centres and supporter programmes. It is a direct operating peer for NAWT's shelter, adoption and community-led model.
• The Mayhew: The Mayhew is an animal-welfare charity combining rescue, rehoming, veterinary and community support. Its mission-led service mix directly overlaps with NAWT's rescue, care, advice and outreach activities.
• Celia Hammond Animal Trust: Celia Hammond Animal Trust is a UK rescue and rehoming charity focused on cats, dogs and other animals in need. It is a smaller direct peer for NAWT's animal intake, rehabilitation, adoption and volunteer-based care.
• Battersea: Battersea is an established rescue and rehoming charity with shelter, adoption, volunteer and fundraising operations. It serves substantially the same adopters, donors and animal-welfare supporters as NAWT.

Broad incumbents

• RSPCA: RSPCA is a larger national animal-welfare organisation with rescue, rehoming, enforcement, veterinary and public-education capabilities. It overlaps with NAWT in rescue and adoption but has a broader remit and substantially greater scale.
• PDSA: PDSA is a national veterinary charity delivering low-cost clinical care, advice and community support for pets. It is a broad incumbent because it overlaps with NAWT's veterinary-support and pet-owner engagement but is not primarily a shelter or adoption network.

Regional players

• Scottish SPCA: Scottish SPCA provides animal rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and welfare services in Scotland. Its activities and charity model are comparable, but its primary operating geography differs from NAWT's South of England footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nawthertfordshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-animal-welfare-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about national animal welfare trust