Durrell flush with pride thanks to Brick Foundation

Thursday 22 January 2015

The Brick Foundation, the charitable arm of the Jersey Construction Council, (JeCC), is undertaking a complete refurbishment of the toilet facilities in the Dodo Café at Durrell Wildlife Park.

The foundation is donating time, resources and material to the £50,000 project which commenced on 5 January. Managed by Bridgewater Project Management, the team is providing its services free of charge to improve the infrastructure of the Park in time for the new tourist season.

Working in conjunction with several member companies including Romerils, Larsen Construction, Jersey Electricity, G4S, Normans, Pentagon, Artizan and The Sign Studio, the project is a combined effort between leading firms in the local industry.

Martin Holmes, Chairman of the Brick Foundation said: "Durrell is unquestionably one of the most popular attractions in Jersey and a bastion of the community for many years. It has been a childhood playground for locals, educating and entertaining us on our natural world. This year would have been visionary and founder Gerald Durrell's 90th birthday and we want to support their important conservation work to ensure they continue to preserve and protect endangered species for years to come. One practical way to do that is to help with running costs by refreshing the Dodo Café which brings important revenue to the Park in the high season"

Durrell does not receive public sector funding with running costs in the park at almost £6 million each year. They often lose bookings for premium conferences, weddings and events due to a lack of adequate facilities on site.

"The Brick Foundation was set up to fund projects related to the construction industry that support the local community. We want to play our part in giving something back to local causes, and the project at Durrell is a shining example of a worthy initiative that will serve our Island," said Mr Holmes.