Annual Report 2023
OUR HISTORY
OUR VISION
‘We create a safe space where animals and people can thrive together in an inclusive and accessible sanctuary. Each interaction provides an opportunity to learn using the environment to encourage an understanding of animal welfare, conservation and responsible pet ownership.’
Embark on a journey with us to create a haven that transcends boundarie inclusive and accessible sanc tuar y, a safe place where animals and people thri together. Each interac tion unfolds an oppor tunity, utilising the envi spark learning and foster a profound understanding of animal welfa natural world, igniting inspiration for future generations.
Our stor y unfolds with Steve Nichols BCAv, the visionar y behind The N Sanc tuar y. In the early 1990s, driven by a passion for parrots with e k nowledge based on information about these ex traordinar y creatu
Swif tly gaining recognition from national and local animal welfare bodie we evolved into a global beacon for parrot-related guidance.
Within a year, the journey expanded, leading us to discover the per an organisation that began by assisting local parrot owners in She eld.
rural Lincolnshire, a one -acre piece of land that became the founda sanc tuar y. Over the years, the Parrot Zoo Trust transformed into a paragon of hope, celebrating two decades as a charity in 2023. Today, we ex tend our suppo diverse array of mammals and birds, including our collec tion of Bengal
As we continue to evolve, our commitment to provide a sanc tuar y f remains unwavering, with over 99.8% of our residents having been National Parrot Sanc tuar y stands as a testament to our unique and vital largest facility of its k ind in the UK , shaping the core of our existenc preser ving and cherishing the beauty of our shared sanc tuar y.
Annual Report 2023 OUR TRUSTEES
The Parrot Zoo Trust is a registered charity (number 1162135). We are also a CIO, (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) which is the legal format for registered charities to have limited liability without the need to register as a limited company and a charity. Our governing document (Constitution) sets out what we can and cannot do legally. It allows us to have a maximum of ten Trustees who manage the strategic direction of the Charity/CIO. Each of our Trustees is linked to an area of work, making good use of their skills and experience.
Karen Parsons Chair/Trustee lead for human resources
Karen has worked and volunteered within the voluntary sector for over 30 years, in sector development including strategic development, safeguarding, workforce reform, play and early years.
Angela Dobson Vice Chair/Trustee lead for volunteering, engagement and funding
community organisations and getting involved in community development.
Kirsty Johnson Trustee lead for health and safety the moon.
presented itself, she was over the moon.
John Mans eld Trustee Jon
John Roper Trustee lead for legal matters
and he enjoys cycling and walking the dog.
Will Downing Trustee lead for marketing
Paula Bachelor Dr. Jon Bielby Trustee
Paula has managed various employment projects, both national schemes and local, large and small. Supporting adults and/or young people in to work. Paula believes that supporting those most in need and helping them achieve what they want to achieve is so rewarding.
Jon works at Liverpool John Moore’s University as a lecturer and researcher, and has worked in science, conservation, welfare, and public engagement for over 20 years, having worked at the Zoological Society of London, and at Chester Zoo before starting his current role in 2018. Jon loves the aims, ethos and approach of the Parrot Zoo Trust, and is keen to support the work of the charity in whatever way he can.
I have been a trustee since 2022 and live locally i have a sound experience in marketing and am happy to support the charity with any marketing needs or issues.
THOUGHTS FROM
OUR CHAIR
Mrs. Karen Parsons
It is fair to say that 2023 has been a year of
With great excitement we celebrated our 20th. Bi sadness as we lost our twin tigers Bella and only for all the birds, reptiles and mammal that a ects us all in one way or another, we increased our holiday o er, with the inclusion of Throughout the year Steve Nichols (our CEO) and all the team have strived to o er the best outcomes not
In recognition of the struggles that ma Februar y half term as an oppor tunity our special Christmas o er which was bigger and better than previously, with over 11,500 visiting in December.
Our awareness of our supporter’s needs has been very much an in uence on site wide developments and 2023 has been a year of launching ne New aviaries, new and improved path of this year's plan to improve the cust
Keeping the site accessible has been a challenge and excess water was a constant presen able to ex tend our car park ing and by ensuring bet ainage what we can with what we can control… which cer tainly isn’t the
Connec ting with stakeholders and supporters around the world has daily updates on our social media, which continues to bring man Lincolnshire Wildlife Park.
…. And so into 2024, details of our plans will be outlined fur ther in this docume we will continue to ensure that we provide the best care possible for which we provide sanc tuar y.
We will also continue to develop our o er to you as our precious supporters and look foward to welcoming you to the park.
Annual Report 2023 OUR CEO
A message from our CEO – Steve Nichols BCAv
Well, here we are again reviewing the year that was 2023.
Our annual repor t last time covered an extended period of eighteen months; this one is slightly shor ter at twelve months, and now aligns with our nancial year. Nevertheless, the year has own by, and I feel we have achieved so much as a team.
All of our social media platforms have gone from strength to strength, with increases in followers on all platforms, and we reached a milestone of 100,000 followers of our Facebook page in Februar y. This is a fantastic achievement and we thank you all for supporting us.
Many new initiatives and developments were planned and completed and there is more detail in our review of the year, but we would not have been able to contemplate these without the support of all our supporters.
Some of the highlights for me included our new LWP Suppor ters subscription channel on Facebook which we launched in Januar y 2023. For a small cost, subscribers can bene t from a range of exclusives, discounts and special o ers. I cannot review the year without mentioning our ‘special’ bir thday. June 2023 marked 20 years since we became a registered charity, and we celebrated in style with fun and games in June, including the rst of our mascot races.
Christmas 2023 was very special to me. we again decided to o er something back as a thank you to all our visitors. ‘Our gift to you’ was free entr y for all between 1st and 23rd December. We invited Santa to come along, of course, and he could be found in his Grotto on most days. We also provided Mini Mondays for our younger visitors and Calm Christmas for those you visited us during the month. Thank you all. who pre ered a quiter experience. We are con dent that both were very well recieved. We were astonished that over 11,500 of
Sadly, we have said goodbye to some of the team who have gone on to bigger and better things and I would like to thank them for their commitment. We have also, and inevitably, said goodbye to some of our animals. We miss them and they will remain in our hear ts.
I would like to personally thank ever yone in the team here at the Parrot Zoo Trust for their hard work and enthusiasm day after day. Without you all, it just would not be possible. Here’s to all things in the future.
Steve S teve
CEO – Steve Nichols (BCAv)
OUR TEAM
The Class of 2023.
Here at the Parrot Zoo Trust, we have a small and dedicated, but per fec tly formed team. During the period January to December 2023 we welcomed new members of the team and inevitably said goodbye to others. We wish them all well in their future endeavours.
N anager
“My passion is caring for animals that need help” “My passion is music and landscape gardening”
“My passion is to just do my best in everything I do”
“My passion is cake”
”
Steve
Jess Newton
i Scarlett y/Animal Registrar
oug Administration Assista
Ash Gabriele Delevopment Manager
OUR TEAM
“My passion is...”
nimal Keeper
Animal Keeper
“My passion is Pugs” “My passion is learning how to scuba dive”
Animal Keeper
“My passion is...”
“My passion is rescued animals”
Animal Keeper
“My passion is family”
“My passion is to work with rhinos and antelopes.”
Animal Keeper Beckie Mann
die Mae Gor tshore
Rio Castledine
Annual Report 2023 IN RE VIE W
THE YEAR OF 2023
Januar y – March:
British Citizen Award. Steve was one of just 29 individuals to be recognised
26th January marked the day when Steve went o to London to receive his and honoured with the British Citizen Award for Volunteering & Charitable Giving BCAv.
AIn Februar y we received a donation of 420 trees oodland Trust, this was to be one of two awards from them in the year. Thank you to The Woodland Trust for their continued suppor t
In March our development team put in a huge number of hours recon guring our overspill car park and access from that area to our reception All works to ensure our visitors have a smoother acc
A t of the installation of our Changing Places facility. T vate space for people with additional needs and is equipped with handrails, a height adjustable sink, a bed and a hoist. Many thanks to East Lindsey Dist or providing over £40,000 in funding for this wonder ful facility
In May we completed the installation and expansion of the Park ’s fresh water supply. This work involved increasing the ow and pressure of water across the site. , unbek nown to us, as this was a ‘mystery shopper’ visit to assess and evaluate our visitor o er. we were ed our accreditation and can now proudly displ y the Visit England si n.
Annual Report 2023
IN RE VIE W
THE YEAR OF 2023
April – June contd.:
April – June:
The 10th June marked our 20th bir thday, and what better way to celeb have a par ty! Lots of fun and games including our Mascot Race took pla the sun shone for us all day long.
July saw the Grand Opening of our Chan Awareness Day, also, International D we themed our day around
We welcomed lots of younger visitors throughout August while they were enjoying holidays and the summer break from Schools across the countr y to visitors for this wor thwhile cause
Also in September, we completed the development of our new aviar y for our K ak arik is.
In September, we proudly announced a groundbreak ing development in our quest for sustainability : the installation of a cutting- edge solar energy system in collaboration with CES, a trusted provider of renewable energy solutions.
Annual Report 2023
IN RE VIE W
THE YEAR OF 2023
Oc tober – December:
Andy and Ash attended the Destination Lincolnshire tourism Awards on Thursday 12th October at the Engine Shed in Lincoln. We were nalists in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year' categor y. Unfor tunately, we didn' t come out as winners on the night, but it ’s the tak ing par t that counts (surely?).
Santa in his Grotto.
The Skegness Business Awards were held on 17th N We were nalists in two categories, the Green Awards where we were judged on how our business contributes to mak ing a better planet, and the Visitor Attrac tion Award. Steve, Andy and Liam were over the moon to be presented with both awards on the night
The ovember were taken up with preparations for our Christmas festivities. The Grotto and Enchanted Forest areas were upgraded, and many new attrac tions launched The event, throughout December was 11,500 visitors during December with over 1300 little ones visiting Santa in his grotto. free for all visitors once again. To round o the year we welcomed over Christmas Eve, 24th December, saw us all having a well- earned rest for a few days
What a year!
What a year!
Annual Report 2023 THE NUMBERS
Where the money comes from
Our Income explained:
Dona ons and legacies £1,050,250
Charitable ac es
£46,097
Other trading ac es £694
In estment Income £4,248
Where the money goes to
Our expenditure explained:
Charitable ac es
£731,860
Management
£553,505
Finance £11,795
Go ernance costs £9,912
THE NUMBERS
OUR FUTURE Annual Report 2023
2024 and beyond
writing this repor t, we are a couple of months into 2024, so we can have a bit of a sneak peak . Highlights of the rst months of 2024 have included
It is so di cult to predict what lies ahead - but, at the time of completion of our Solar projec t, the development of our brand new Woodland Walk , presence on a new Social Media platform (for us) Twitch, and welcoming the Easter Bunny.
All the details and more can be found on our Social Media channels and of course in the 2024 Annual Repor t.
HELP US Annual Report 2023
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you are exploring business sponsorship and collaborative work ing, please contac t us to share your thoughts.
Ever y member of the team at the Parrot Zoo Trust believes passionately in the value of the work we do and the resources we provide.
Here are some of the ways you can suppor t us:
Suppor t us through Social Media
We are ver y ac tive on many social media channels, so you could subscribe to our suppor ters group on Facebook or our group discounts on merchandise and when you visit us.
Suppor t us through Sponsapoll
Sponsapoll is a unique sponsorship programme which oppor tunit y to donate a small amount at regular inte you will receive newsletters, a Season ticket and a Wel
Suppor t us through purchasing one of our Adoption
Most of our animals can be adopted, just contac t us and see if available. Your Adoption box includes lots of goodies including a cuddly and an Annual Pass.
Suppor t us through Gif taid
When you come to see us, and we ask if you are able t Gif t Aid is a tax relief allowing UK charities to reclaim an ever y eligible donation made by a UK taxpayer.
The Parrot Zoo Trust currently provides a forever home to over 900 parrots o ering a haven for over 100 di erent species of these incredibly special birds.
lead a ful lling life, from nutrition to one-to-one care and enrichment. We encourage all our
Our small and dedicated team provides ever y bird the care they need to enable them to birds to live naturally within their colony allowing them to not only sur vive but thrive. Unlike any other sanc tuar y in the UK, The National Parrot Sanc tuar y provides long term care in an environment where parrots can live outside in the fresh air, taking in the sun and rain and making their own choices about when they sleep, eat and play.
We understand how much your parrot means to you.
Should something happen to you, we know that you want to make sure there is someone who will take care of the bird you love.
Through the Doris Johnson Peace of Mind Foundation, you can plan for the future so that in the event of your illness or death, we can give your parrot sanc tuar y with us at the Parrot Zoo Trust.
You can be assured that we will always give your parrot the love and care they need and deser ve.
We promise that we will never put a healthy parrot to sleep
We promise that we will never rehome your parrot
We promise that there will be no cost to you
If you would like more information about the Doris Johnson Peace of Mind Foundation, please call us on 01754 820107 or email pepe@lincswildlife.com
LEARNING AT THE PARK
Lea r ni n g
The Parrot Zoo Trust is a Charity and Sanc tuar y which provides long term care and rehabilitation for animals who can no longer be cared for in their own homes. As such we are uniquely placed to deliver learning for all, and raise awareness about our resident animals; nature and the environment
We have in excess of 10 years experience in the development and deliver y of learning experiences for schools (excluding the COVID years). During that time we have developed our pack ages of learning in response to feedback received.
Since 2014 we have welcomed 12,649 students from schools from 393 groups I t is through evaluations and analysis coupled with statistics and repor ts that we evidence the continued need for outdoor learning.
Visiting students are able to learn and experience rst hand, the care, love and support we give to our animals who have an array of special needs and requirements.
The Charity has an experienced and committed team; we have pack ages of learning in plac informative and learning is fun and memorable.
Introducing - It ’s a Bug’s Life (coming soon)
'I t's a Bug's Life' is all about stimulating and exciting experiences within our amazing Sanc tua y We are the per fec t location for school trips and have excellent learning resources available for ever yone to get the most from their day with us as it develops, I t's a Bug's Life will provide young people with oppor tunities to experience inspirational learning days at our Sanc tuar y.
Learning will be subsidised or completely free of charge to schools and families of students; and
I t's a Bug's Life will also suppor t home -schooling and uniformed groups who are look ing to learn new c tion sk ills to help protec t wildlife.
If we are serious about our nex t generation engaging in the environment and conser vation then we need to ensure they have access to outdoor learning and feel inspired. We urgently need to prioritise oppor tunities for young people to re - engage with school life and a love of learning Without this we risk a whole generation feeling and being excluded from the unique natural heritage of the World.
OUR CHAR AC TERS
OUR PATRONS Annual Report 2023
We really do appreciate our Patrons and our Ambassadors. These people help us to promote the Charity in their own ver y special ways.
Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire
I am delighted to be a Patron to the charity and applaud the whole team for their hard work , dedication and commitment. I am pleased to be a par t of a team that are delivering innovative, exciting and ambitious projec ts for the continued success of the Park .
‘I was ver y thrilled when I was asked to come and meet CEO Steve Nichols and the team at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park , and could not have imagined the experience I was to encounter ’
Derren Brown Toby Dennis
The Park is a remark able place and the team are exceptional people, I was impressed with the k nowledge and passion for all the animals the team have taken responsibility for, along with the dedication to their wellbeing, enclosures and for some, their additional needs
I am so proud to be a par t of this amazing wor thy organisation, of course I fully understand we live in a world where far more disastrous things happen than a Cock atoo pluck ing a hole in its chest or an African Grey shouting obscenities at people. Many terrible things are wor thy of our attention, and occasionally even a little of our time or money. I confess my own charitable instinc ts are probably not what they could be, but the Parrot Zoo Trust and the sanc tuar y are all about preser ving enjoyment, and I think that enjoyment is a ver y impor tant thing.
The enjoyment that a patient owner can derive from a parrot at home.
delight of visiting a countr yside haven where, for the price of an admission fee and a bag of peanuts, you can spend all afternoon in the loud and curious company of parrots. Some will tell you what they think of you, others will mimic your ringtone. Some you’ll fall in love with, a few, inexplicably, will just whistle The Simpsons theme tune as you stroll past.
Steve and the dedicated team have passion in life, that passion is, to meet the needs
The enjoyment that a parrot can nd again after being neglected, and the sheer of captive wild animals. I for one suppor t this wholehear tedly and wish them a ver y prosperous future.
Annual Report 2023
OUR AMBASSADORS
Cleo Rocos
As an Ambassador I am ver y proud to be associated with such a unique animal charity required to look after just one bird, so caring for the hundreds that these amazing
A parrot owner myself for over 20 years, I know rst hand of the time and dedication determination to o er a caring home to such a huge array of exotic animals, guys and girls do on a daily basis is absolutely awe inspiring.
I have followed the Charity and suppor ted their progress over many years The utter including the largest collec tion of Bengal Tigers in the UK , is testament to the charity and the team.
With the team’s persistence to never give up no matter the hurdles, you soon discover that we are all so luck y that this charity is here to stay and will continue to grow, which is just so for tunate for the animals that need continued help
Ivan Massow
Most of us like an animal of some description, but few dedicate their entire lives to caring for them. I am proud to be an ambassador and personal supporter of the Parrot Zoo Trust, a wonderful charity with Steve Nichols at the helm of a dedicated team of carers, who all relentlessly and sel essly o er needy creatures ‘one to one’ attention 24 hours a day for 365 days every year.
Sponsapoll is The National Parrot Sanctuary within Lincolnshire Wildlife Park’s personal sponsorship programme. The kind donations given through Sponsapoll are what keep our wonderful animal sanctuary alive and running. Donations to Sponsapoll go towards many aspects of the park including:
Aviary and Enclosure Development and Repairs
Hospital Treatment and Veterinary Care
Quarantine facilities for new residents to the park
Food for the birds and animals, including special dietary requirements
Up-keep of park facilities for our many visitors and previous parrot owners
Annual Report 2023 THANK YOU!
So many hear tfelt thank yous to:
Ever y single volunteer who has suppor ted us, giving their time and energy willingly throughout the year. Ever yone who has visited us during 2023, yes all 73,469 of you. Ever yone on the team, for their hard work and commitment to the Charity And the following organisations and businesses who have helped us throughout 2023.
