Meet our Campaign Manager Emily Lawrence

What’s your role at the League?

My role, working with the wider team is to assist in creating and delivering meaningful campaigns to achieve our goals of ending hunting, shooting and animal fighting.

My days are never the same. One day I could be liaising with supporters on various issues, discussing contacting their MP, local councillors or helping them to prepare for a leafleting event or a protest. I also write emails to our supporters telling them about our latest campaigns and letting them know how they can help us.

It could be discussing a significant event that has happened, such as a fox kill/traffic chaos caused by hunts with local hunt monitor or a member of the public. Linking with the communication team seeing how best we can use the event to create awareness or support a campaign.

Later in the day I could be doing some research on a new campaign, having meetings with the wider campaigns team and the communications team on press releases or social media stories.

Other days I could be travelling to meet supporters to see how they can help us or how we can help them. I also attend, help and support other groups with protests outside greyhound stadiums, the Cheltenham Festival and on trophy hunting.

What are the team dynamics like at the League?

I work from home but am in constant contact with the wider team. I probably come into contact with each department at the League every day. We hold regular meetings where we catch up with what we are working on and ensure we are working effectively together.

Campaigns like the National Parks campaign wouldn’t work without the collaboration of the wider team. For example, the communications team for press and social media, the intelligence team, Public Affairs team and our design and website colleagues too.  Working together is crucial for success for the animals.

How do you manage work-life balance in your role?

The League makes it easy for me to manage my work and home life. I can be flexible with my hours so can start earlier to finish earlier or later if I need to.  This is really helpful as living in a rural community with no public transport means I have had to be able to get out now and again.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to balance your home and work life when there is a large campaign to be planned or something drops from the sky which means its all hands to the deck to deliver the best results you can. It means you appreciate the quieter times when they come along!

A to do list written at the beginning of each week does help me although as each day brings something new even that can go out the window!

What are some of the common challenges you face in your role?

It is a challenge when you are dealing with animal cruelty every day. You hear and see horrible stories and see disgusting cruelty that humans inflict on animals. You receive abuse from people on each side, sometimes your campaigns get copied and social media can be a blessing or a curse. I’ve been working at the League since 2018 and I have got better at facing these challenges and probably become stronger for it. You have to face the fact that you are never going to please all the people all the time, even those who are on the same side as you.

What Learning and Development opportunities are there?

I have definitely grown and learnt a lot at the League since joining. The League provides training for everyone and if there’s something you are particularly interested in you can put a suggestion forward.

Since I started at the League, I have renewed my first aid training, become a mental health first aider and been on courses such as volunteer management and diversity training.

What have been your highlights since joining the League?

The National Trust banning hunting on its land was a highlight. Sharing the victory with the team, the supporters and all the other campaigners who fought for this for a long time was very special.

Another highlight was banning shooting at Reading University, one of my first campaigns that I led at the League.

The most rewarding aspect of my role is getting wins for animals and what I enjoy most is that we really do make a difference for animals and our work is meaningful. I believe everyone at the League has animals at the heart of what they do. This year, 2024, is such an important year to really end fox hunting for good and everyone at the League is determined to see that happen.