Aviva Community Fund has provided £2,361 of match funding
Educating the next generation of wildlife savers
East Huntspill, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Help us get our wildlife education programme back on track after Covid-19 so that we can keep teaching young people about the natural world
About Secret World Wildlife Rescue
Secret World Wildlife Rescue is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and eventual release of British wildlife. in 2019 we directly cared for 4395 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals and birds.
Based in Somerset, we are a well-respected source of expertise and a centre of excellence where all British wildlife can receive the best possible care. We believe that every animal is important, and we respond to every call for help. We are passionate about the natural world and seek to inspire learning about the world of British wildlife, encouraging everyone to discover what they can do to protect it.
We know British wildlife is in trouble, particularly from loss of habitat, road traffic accidents and other human activities. To help counteract this, we have a learning programme which aims to give people of all ages a unique and inspirational experience in order to awaken their interest and passion for wildlife and to reconnect them with nature. We do this through a variety of educational open days, courses and talks. We also offer opportunities for continuing professional development to students and veterinary professionals to share our expertise and best practise in caring for British wildlife. Through our range of learning opportunities, we offer tailored training and experience to students and volunteers from across Europe.
Our Education Programme
Our education programme is as important as our animal welfare work, as it allows us to teach and inform the next generation of wildlife savers. We offer a diverse range of activities, open days, outreach and courses aimed at a number of groups, including:
- Young people with Special Education Needs
- Schools and colleges
- Pre-school children
- Community groups, including Scouts and Girl Guides
- Veterinary professionals
- Adult learners
Unfortunately, our education programme has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. We have been forced to cancel all of our events, open days, school visits and outreach sessions for 2020, which were expected to bring in around £100,000 of income. We are making plans for 2021, as well as adapting our courses and sessions so that they can be delivered online, but this loss of income means that we are extremely limited on how much we can do right now.
We can currently only afford to employ a Learning Officer for one day a week, a role which is usually a minimum of three days a week. There is so much work needed to develop online materials and create a new plan for 2021, that we will need to make this a full-time role for at least the next six months. Without funding, this will not be possible, and our learning programme will suffer as a result.
Your donations to this appeal will go towards restarting our education programme, helping with costs including the purchase of new equipment, our Learning Officer's wages, travel expenses, and software costs.
As well as being a great source of income, education is one of our charity's main objectives, as we recognise the need and benefits for teaching people about wildlife and the environment and how they can protect it.
"In the end we will only conserve what we love: we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught" - Baba Dioum
More about our work
Some of our highlights from 2019 included:
- The Secret World Wildlife Rescue team of staff and volunteers cared for 4,395 animals in 2019, of which more than 40% were released successfully back into the wild; for others we were able to relieve their suffering quickly and humanely.
- Our animal care and reception team also provided telephone advice on how to care for injured or orphaned wildlife to around 12,000 callers during the year
- In March we were voted ‘Charity of the Year’ in Sedgemoor District Council’s Business Awards.
- SWWR’s World’s Wildlife Learning and Engagement Programme continued during 2019 with over 1,825 participants attending sessions on site and a further 1,274 participants through outreach session. Over 5,500 people attended our open weekends which focus on imparting knowledge about British wildlife, nature and our environment in a fun and interactive way.
- Our wildlife rescue and rehabilitation courses have grown in popularity and in 2019 we delivered 10 sessions to 370 participants on site as well as bespoke sessions at local colleges and for University of Bristol students studying the MSc in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation.
We receive no government funding and are entirely reliant on the generosity of our supporters. Your donations mean that we can continue our essential work saving Britain's wildlife.
This project successfully funded on 7th October 2020