Students Raise £1,200 to Help Feed 20,000 Animals in Closed Zoos

Published on: 8 Mar, 2021
Updated on: 8 Mar, 2021

Guildford College students have raised £1,200 for the entrance fee-starved London and Whipsnade zoos, each student walking a mile a day all February, a welcome break from their computer screens.

Tutor Bernadette Jones told her level 2 Health and Social Care and Early Years students about an advert she saw about the effort by ZSL, representing both zoos, to raise funds after Sir David Attenborough said: “Don’t let London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo go extinct.”

Having suffered three national lockdowns in the past year, the zoos have lost many millions, jeopardising the future of ZSL and the 20,000 animals at both zoos.

All sponsorship donations go to help secure the future of the zoo and the vital conservation work ZSL undertakes.

Guildford College students Ella and Georgia

Setting up a JustGiving page, Ms Jones and her enthusiastic students gave themselves an original target of £100. Then money started pouring in from impressed friends and relatives and the total now stands at£1,225.

Ms Jones said: “I am so proud of how my students have demonstrated their support for the zoos and embraced the challenge so willingly. It is a massive achievement, and they are all amazing.”

Health and social care students Georgia and Ella said: “We joined this fundraiser because it was a good opportunity to get out of the house to do something since we can’t do much else just now.

“Knowing it was for such as good cause, to help the animals at London and Whipsnade Zoos has made it very worthwhile going out for a walk every day.”

Lauren Ellis

Early Years student Lauren, who uses a wheelchair, said: “I was willing to show no matter what disability you have, you can always achieve what you want to and prove I was able to make this happen.

“Doing a mile to help raise money for the zoo is really important to help the animals get fed due to these uncertain times in the pandemic.”

James Wren, ZSL executive director of fundraising, said: “By completing this challenge, the funds raised will help to feed and care for animals while the zoos are closed to the public and our income is shut off.

“We are completely reliant on the generosity of people you during this troubled time and we are all enormously grateful.”

If you would like to sponsor Guildford College students in support of this worthy cause, their JustGiving page will remain open until the end of March.

If you would like to learn more about health and social care or early years programmes at Guildford College, please visit the Guildford College website or call Activate Learning on 0800 612 6008.