Our beloved member of the TH March team, Jackie Ember, has sadly passed away. On 7/11/24, as members of the team attend her funeral, service will be impacted and we ask you to bear with us.

Mucking in at Dartmoor Zoo – Charity begins at work for Jenny

T H MARCH
Admin

A high proportion of people want to volunteer, but don’t have time – workplace volunteer schemes (known as employer supported volunteering) can make charitable deeds more accessible. Such initiatives allow businesses to create ways in which employees can use working hours to support causes or organisations or projects they feel passionate about.

In a county such as Devon, where there are many voluntary sector groups and charities in need of help and a direct relationship with nature, space and wildlife, Dartmoor Zoo was the perfect option for Jenny Warr, PA to Finance Director at TH March to muck in and help.

Jenny helped the Maintenance and Grounds Keeping Team at Dartmoor Zoo “I love animals, and I knew that I really wanted to do something with animals in mind. When researching potential options, I read how Dartmoor Zoo have a motto “helping people helping wildlife” and they want to connect people and nature. They have quite a few initiatives which help with wellbeing, mental health etc. along with conservation to help the animals. This really inspired me and resonated that to help for day, seemed like a worthwhile use of my ESV time.”

The Dartmoor Zoological Society is a charity responsible for the care of the animal collection at Dartmoor Zoo, as well as conservation, breeding, and research projects. The charity is completely reliant on ticket income, donations and purchases to keep the vital work going. It was also the beloved home of the ‘We Bought a Zoo’ story.

“I was helping to clear the enclosure for the latest zoo member (a leopard) who will arrive in September/October of 2023, making sure that I cleared anything that could be of harm to them. The day itself, went so quickly, just being outside in nature, with all the animals around and near me had meant it was a lovely experience, plus seeing school children experiencing the animals and learning about them first-hand, really shows that Dartmoor Zoo are educating the next generation.”

As part of our ESG agenda, employer supported volunteering (ESV) allows the team at TH March to make a valuable contribution and a positive difference to the communities we are proud to be part of.

Jenny comments: “All of the Maintenance and Grounds Keeping Team at Dartmoor Zoo were friendly, and I had a great day helping them as at the end of the day, I knew that I had helped with the vital preparation works and would definitely go back and help further.”

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