Jersey Zoo events manager Zoe Le Var discusses the joys of organising family-friendly events and fundraisers at the zoo – and what Islanders can expect from the Durrell Ball
I’m Zoe and I am the Events Manager at Durrell (as well as a passionate advocate for everything we do)!
Some of you may recognise me from around the zoo – you will normally see me running around before an event starts or walking around the grounds with our amazing Site Services team asking them for help with last minute requests!
As my role would suggest I organise commercial and fundraising events at Jersey Zoo, as well as other events across the Trust, which include the Durrell Lecture held in London and Royal events with our patron The Princess Royal such as afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace.
In the past I was the Project Lead for the delivery of the Tortoise Takeover trail and have been responsible for the Durrell Challenge, Durrell at Dusk, Durrell Dash, Corporate family fun days, the EAZA Conference, as well as my favourite event Boo at the Zoo - a Halloween event that we still get asked about today!
This year has been especially busy for events at the zoo – not only as it’s a special year for Durrell, but also because we have been working hard behind the scenes to put on more for our members, so they really get value for money as part of their membership. This has included hosting the incredibly popular dinosaurs in May, the Very Hungry Caterpillar Trail over the summer holidays, as well as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which is on show at the zoo until the end of this month. Each event is so different and provides another reason for our guests to learn more about the work that we do or become better connected with nature. I honestly get so much joy out of seeing our guests enjoying what we offer, all whilst in a truly unique setting.
My focus now is finalising the final few details in the lead up to our Founder’s Ball, an evening to celebrate what would have been Gerald Durrell’s 100th birthday. It’s going to be a fantastic evening from start to finish; we have the sensational Lulu performing, who will cover legendary musical collaborations from her amazing 60-year career, as well as many other surprises on the night for guests.
The Durrell ball is always such a special event for me as I originally started my work with Durrell as a volunteer in 2016 creating the Investec Rainforest Ball. It was an amazing journey that I went on with Durrell and the connections I made, as well as successfully raising £240,000 in one evening. After that I was hooked and have been here ever since!
Last week, we launched the silent auction for the Founder’s Ball which includes some once in a lifetime experiences. This includes breakfast with our Sumatran orangutans and a nocturnal tour of the zoo, as well as signed records by Harry Styles and Taylor Swift and two tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final in New York next year.