The Animal Health and Welfare Research Centre (AHWRC) at Sparsholt Campus welcomed Sparsholt College Group staff and their families for its first-ever Staff Family Day in the summer break offering a fun-filled day of animal encounters, keeper talks and opportunities to discover more about the work taking place at the Centre.
The event gave colleagues the chance to bring their families behind the scenes and enjoy a packed programme celebrating the animals and people at the heart of the AHWRC.
The Centre opened its doors at 9.30am, with activities continuing throughout the day until 4pm. Families were able to take part in a series of keeper talks, offering fascinating insights into the care of the Centre’s animals.
The programme included a Cat Keeper Talk, a Small Companion Animal Keeper Talk at the outdoor rabbit enclosures, and a Zoo Mammal Keeper Talk at the meerkat and porcupine enclosures. Visitors could also meet the bird keepers at the owl enclosures, learn more about the paddock animals at the goat enclosure, and discover more about herptiles during a talk in the Herptile Room.
As well as meeting some of the Centre’s animal residents, families were able to see more of the facilities and get a flavour of the work carried out by staff across the Centre.
The day also supported The Owl’s Trust, with a fundraiser running throughout the event which raised over £150!
For staff, the Family Day was a chance to share their workplace with the people closest to them, while for families it provided a unique opportunity to see the Centre from a different perspective.