Young adults from the NeuroMuscular Centre, Winsford celebrated their Duke of Edinburgh volunteering achievements at our historic Oakfield venue earlier this year. The event was an opportunity for the volunteers to share their experience of volunteering at the zoo and celebrate with their family and friends.
The Neuromuscular Centre provides services and specialist advice to improve the quality of life for adults with neuromuscular conditions. The celebration follows three months of Visitor Engagement Volunteering, skill building and masterclasses with the zoo’s volunteer management team and expert Conservation Education and Engagement staff.
The volunteer team delivers a successful the Duke of Edinburgh volunteering programme twice a year, giving local young people between 12-25 years the opportunity to gain the volunteering element of their bronze, silver or gold awards. Through volunteering, young people develop skills in conservation engagement as they learn about endangered and critically endangered wildlife and habitats, and the actions people can take to protect them.
Duke of Edinburgh volunteering is a fantastic way to provide opportunities for citizenship and social action for young people. Seeing young people develop their confidence and skills as Visitor Engagement Volunteers in the zoo is wonderful. Volunteering is a fantastic way for young people to build confidence, independence and social skills. Well done to the group for their achievements!
Lindsay Marston, Volunteer Manager
PSSSTT
“I’m doing my Gold DofE Award and absolute love volunteering at Chester Zoo! As a ‘Visitor Engagement Volunteer’ we talk to visitors, answer questions and just help to make sure they have a good day. It is perfect for me to help improve my confidence – especially being in public in my electric wheelchair. I really enjoy meeting all the different types of people and making them smile. I enjoy volunteering at the zoo so much I’m hoping to carry on volunteering once I finish DofE. Chester Zoo has gone above and beyond to make our group part of the team, and I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing experience.”
Amy Gittins, Youth Volunteer, Young Person’s Coach at NMC
As part of the project the participants each created a project about a conservation issue that they felt passionate about. At the celebration event they presented these back to staff, volunteers and friends and family to share the knowledge and confidence they had gained from taking part.
To find out more about volunteering at Chester Zoo click here