Community Zoo

After 33 years as a brick layer, Paul Wilson turned up to work towards the end of last year to find his building site closed. Realising he was out of a job, he decided to turn his dream of setting up his own business into a reality.

 

Four months later, with the help of Sheffield City Council's enterprise team, Paul’s business, ‘Community Zoo’ is up and running.

 

Paul comments: “In my years working as a bricklayer, I spent a lot of time on farms and in rural communities, dry stone walling and hedge laying. It was during this time that I became interested in British wildlife – and especially birds of prey. I built up a personal collection of birds when my children left home, and over the last few years I thought about how brilliant it would be to be able to work with the birds day-to-day, and develop a ‘Community Zoo’.”

 

During Paul’s first visit to the Job Centre, after his job had come to an end, he noticed a leaflet aimed at people over the age of 50 looking to set up their own business.

 

Paul continued: “I am not one to sit around waiting for opportunities to come to me, so I contacted the enterprise programme and arranged a meeting with one of the advisors to see if they thought my business idea - to take animals into schools, children’s parties and events - could work. The team was really supportive of my ideas and helped me to turn them into a detailed business plan. I have had support with funding for new equipment, marketing materials and also lots of support and advice to turn my hobby into a fully-fledged business.”

 

Community Zoo offers children and adults the chance to interact with birds of prey - including owls and kestrels - and Paul soon hopes to expand his business to include other animals, such as snakes, scorpions and spider and frogs!  Paul has carried out extensive research to develop lesson plans around the animals which can be incorporated into the curriculum across a variety of subjects, including history, geography and science. All of the birds of prey Paul uses are rescued from falconry centres nationwide.  

 

He hopes to visit schools, community and youth groups, and other private events across Yorkshire. 

 

To find out more about Community Zoo or to book for an event, please contact Paul Wilson on 07960 139836 or email wildliferangers@blueyonder.co.uk