Lemurs, Meerkats and Pygmy Goats: SSEN Transmission volunteers help to Be The Difference at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park
A group of enthusiastic volunteers from SSEN Transmission stepped away from their desks to pick up paintbrushes and wheelbarrows and lend a helping hand to park staff at a popular Perthshire wildlife centre.
Fifteen volunteers from SSEN Transmission’s Finance team donned overalls and picked up rakes, paint brushes and brooms to provide a helping hand to staff at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, located a few miles from Comrie, Perthshire.
Home to over 70 species of animals, from albino wallabies, meerkats and lemurs to native red deer and wild cats, Auchingarrich Wildlife Park welcomes visitors all year round.
The volunteers were put to work turning their hand to every task imaginable to help – from mucking-out the season’s early lambs and newly-hatched chicks, to planting flower bulbs, painting benches and fences, and spreading recycled Christmas tree wood chips in the park’s recently installed polytunnel.
SSEN Transmission’s Finance team had come together to help make a difference to the wildlife park after noting a request from the Park’s owners for volunteers to get involved. SSEN Transmission offers all staff a paid day away from their usual job to volunteer as part of SSE’s ‘Be the Difference’ programme, meaning they can spend a day supporting a cause or charity which is important to them, providing the Finance team with the perfect opportunity to help out the staff at the popular wildlife park.
Stewart Lindsay, SSEN Transmission’s Head of Finance said: “As a team we really wanted to come together and do something positive for the local community, and when we heard that Auchingarrich Wildlife Park were on the look-out for volunteers we thought it was the perfect chance to offer up some people-power and get involved.
“The park staff have been fantastic, taking the time to show us the wildlife up close and how the work we’re doing will help the Park in the long term. As a business it is really important to us that we work closely with the local communities in which we operate, and I’m so pleased we’ve been able to use our Be The Difference day to help out at the park and make a positive contribution.
“Everyone has really enjoyed their visit here, and its really great to see our volunteering efforts making a real difference in the Park.”
Alexa Reid, Managing Director of Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, said: “It was great having the volunteers along from SSEN Transmission visit to help us for the day here at Auchingarrich. Their contributions to help us crack on with various maintenance and landscaping projects across the park helped make a real difference, and they were a huge help.
“With over 70 species of animals here at the wildlife park we’re always looking for volunteers to get involved, so if anyone would like to come and lend a hand do get in touch!”
Auchingarrich Wildlife Park is a small zoo with petting farm located around two miles from Comrie. The wildlife park is home to a wide variety of animals from across five different continents, from emus to otters. The wildlife park has recently been taken over by new owners and is currently welcoming volunteers across all areas of the park to help lend a hand and get involved.
Headquartered in Perth, SSEN Transmission is responsible for the high-voltage electricity transmission network across the north of Scotland, and is at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to tackle the climate emergency by creating a network for net zero emissions and connecting and transporting Scotland’s vast renewable resources to where it is needed most. They are currently expanding as a business with new green jobs available across the north of Scotland. To find out more, visit SSE Careers; https://careers.sse.com/
Learn more about Auchingarrich Wildlife Park by visiting their website at: https://www.auchingarrichwildlifepark.co.uk/