My Volunteer Experience at Wild Zoo – Michelle Horton, Head of Advent IM Training Academy

• by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
• Advent IM Blog

I recently spent two amazing days volunteering at Wild Zoo during the Zoo Tots festive event, where little ones under two came for a magical visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We set up fun activities like colouring, warm hot chocolate, and, of course, that special moment meeting Santa!

The first day was perfect, bright sunshine and a proper festive feeling. The fantastic weather meant the incredible Birds of Flight show could be held, which is truly worth seeing. The second day was a different story, cold, wet weather meant moving everything indoors. While it was a challenge, it showed how adaptable the team and the overall event is. Even though the bird show couldn’t go ahead, the festive spirit stayed strong, and every child still had a wonderful time.

Behind the scenes, I also helped with some important prep work, creating lists for older children’s Santa visits and assisting with grotto setup. No photos yet, because the grotto is a surprise!

Volunteering at Wild Zoo has been such a rewarding experience, seeing the joy on children’s faces and being part of the festive magic is fantastic and I also get a behind the scenes hello to all the animals.

A huge thank you to the amazing team for making me feel so welcome and for all the hard work that goes into creating these special moments! – Michelle Horton, Advent IM Training Manager.