Cassie Edmiston
Head of Fundraising and External Affairs
Cassie Edmiston
Head of Fundraising and External Affairs
Cassie has led the PET fundraising team since 2011, joining from a senior management role at a regional cancer charity. She has developed a strong team, ensuring we build good relationships with all our supporters and strive for best practice in how we deliver our fundraising. More recently, oversight of policy and communications have become key parts of Cassie’s role, ensuring PET’s expertise and knowledge play a critical role in influencing policymakers and the public.
Which course?
“If I could pick any distance learning course, I would study Deaf Awareness and Sign Language. Good communication of all types is essential to my role and I would love to be able to sign well.”
Mark O’Mahony
Policy Manager
Mark O’Mahony
Policy Manager
Mark joined PET in September 2025, having previously worked in the policy teams at the NSPCC and Become. He is also the Designated Safeguarding Trustee for GOAL Youth Club and volunteers as a Shift Leader for Crisis at Christmas. Outside of work, Mark sings with his choir and plays the piano and concertina — though never all at the same time.
Which course?
The course I'd pick is Certificate in Counselling Skills. I think counsellors are amazing people with extremely important skills, and I'd love to get a better understanding of how they do what they do.
Hannah Richards
Trusts Fundraising Manager
Hannah Richards
Trusts Fundraising Manager
Hannah has worked at PET since 2014 and been in her current role as the Trusts Fundraising Manager since 2015. Her favourite part of the job is reading the testimonies of people who have successfully finished their courses.
Which course?
"If I had the chance to study again I would choose something to do with horticulture or conservation."
Alex Hitchcock
Trusts Fundraising Officer
Alex Hitchcock
Trusts Fundraising Officer
Alex joined PET in 2021, and works in the Fundraising team to maintain PET’s important relationship with its network of Trust funders. He is also a professional saxophonist, and enjoys travelling to play and collaborating with musicians from around the world.
Which course?
"Teaching English as a Foreign Language would be a really interesting one – I really enjoy teaching and find the process of learning languages fascinating so it would be a good combination of the two."
Freya Clarke
Individual Giving Manager
Freya Clarke
Individual Giving Manager
Freya joined the PET fundraising team in 2022, with experience working in individual and legacy giving at LGBTQ+ homelessness, healthcare and education charities. Freya is on the development committee for Clean Break and is a mentor for the Longford Trust.
Which course?
I'd choose to study Arabic. I learned a few languages growing up in Luxembourg and I think Arabic would be great as my next challenge!
Chloe Buchanan
Fundraising Officer
Chloe Buchanan
Fundraising Officer
Chloe joined PET in 2024. She has a varied background, with experience fundraising for a local youth charity, as well as working in higher education and the yachting industry. She is really pleased to be making a difference for learners in prison as part of PET’s fundraising team.
Which course?
I would choose to learn Dutch, not only because I love to travel and learn languages, but half of my family are Dutch and live in The Netherlands! I have been rather spoilt by their dedication to communicating in English, so I’d like to honour their kindness and make an effort to learn.
Calum Walker
Media and Communications Manager
Calum Walker
Media and Communications Manager
Calum joined PET in 2018, after a year working in the communications team at the anti-poverty charity Turn2us. Prior to that he spent three years in the television industry, working in drama production.
Which course?
I'd pick Learning to Draw. I love art but I've never been any good at making it myself. I'd like to see if taking this course could help me improve!
