The Scottish SPCA has made its popular Paws, Play, Relax album available to download and stream online.
The move comes ahead of tonight’s Bonfire Night celebrations, when many pets will become distressed by the noise and flashes from firework displays held to commemorate Guy Fawkes’ failed gunpowder plot.
Created with Glasgow songwriter John McLaughlin – best known for writing chart toppers for acts such as Westlife and Cliff Richard – the album is specifically aimed at relaxing dogs.
Its tracks are based on the results of a study by researchers at the University of Glasgow. Their findings showed dogs become bored if they listen to the same music continually and prefer a varied playlist.
While all of the genres of music tested help to keep dogs calm, the ones that brought most benefit were reggae and soft rock.
Of course, Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plotters thought their actions would lead to social change, not to terrifying pets more than 400 years later.
Thankfully, there are easier ways to get involved if you want to make a change in politics and society – particularly if you choose these kinds of roles from s1jobs.
Charity Fundraiser
The chief executive may feature more often in the news but it’s the daily work of the fundraisers that keeps a charity running and its work in the public eye.
The most important thing to have for this role is a passion for a cause, but coming to the job from a business, marketing, media or public relations background can be a huge benefit.
Fundraising takes creativity – thinking of new angles to engage a public who are already asked to contribute to a number of causes.
It can involve working at evening and weekend events and even travelling abroad.
Having done voluntary work before will help with an application as it shows you have commitment and experience.
Advocate
For legal professionals in Scotland who want to challenge injustice, the role of advocate is the top job to aim for.
Comparable to barristers in England and Wales, advocates work as independent lawyers, which means they can offer advice about legal cases to clients and conduct defence and prosecution work in courts.
While they practise as members of the Faculty of Advocates, they can also appear before the UK Supreme Court and a variety of decision-making organisations, such as tribunals and arbitrations.
After 13 years of work advocates can ‘take silk’ as Queen’s Counsels.
Family Support Worker
This is frontline care at its best: working with families who are often desperate for help. This is why previous experience in childcare, social work, social care, counselling, youth work or education is helpful.
Usually the work will be done in the family of social services, backed up by a social worker.
Families can have multiple problems. Addiction and mental health problems can be commonplace in this line of work, which is carried out anywhere from the family home to a refuge to nurseries, probation services and children’s homes.
The skills come with experience, such as the ability to build relationships with people who may have lost their trust in others.
There will be elements of evening and weekend working – problems such as these are rarely confined to the nine to five – but knowing you’ve helped a family stay together and thrive is immensely rewarding.
If you’d like to see your career prospects rocket, take a look at the roles currently available on s1jobs