Founder's Ball raises over £250,000 in Gerald Durrell’s Honour
Tuesday 7 October 2025
A phenomenal £251,061 was raised by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at its Founder’s Ball.
The evening, which took place on 27 September, was hosted in memory of inspirational and pioneering conservationist Gerald Durrell and was the latest event in the Trust’s GD100 celebrations, marking the year in which Durrell would have celebrated his 100th birthday. The Royal Jersey Showground, the venue for the event, was completely transformed, taking the 320 attendees on a whirlwind tour and celebration of Durrell’s life.
On arrival, guests were invited into a pop-up library, where Dr Lee Durrell signed copies of Gerald Durrell’s famous books. The evening featured a sensational performance by world renowned singer, songwriter, actress and television personality Lulu, who sang legendary musical collaborations from her amazing 60-year career. Also performing on the night were luxury events entertainment group Swan Band, magician Infiniti as well as local acts Retro Gramophone and Hayley Wray Aerial.
Most importantly though, the evening raised vital funds for Jersey Zoo, to help it thrive for many years to come. As well as a Silent Auction that went live a few weeks ahead of the ball, there was also a live auction on the evening, hosted by television presenter and antiques and art expert, Natasha Raskin Sharpe. The live auction featured lots such as exclusive naming rights for some of the dens in the new state of the art gorilla house at Jersey Zoo, as well as exclusive hire of the whole zoo site for the day.
Rebecca Brewer, CEO at Durrell commented “We wanted to celebrate Gerry’s birthday with a bang and the Founder’s Ball did just that. From the legendary Lulu, fabulous Swan Band and all of the local acts, guests were celebrating from start to finish. We are so incredibly grateful for the generosity of all of our guests, donors and bidders, who helped us raise a phenomenal amount in Gerry’s honour. A massive thank you to all of the guests, suppliers, entertainers and colleagues, for making this a night to remember.”
Dr Lee Durrell, Honorary Director at Durrell added: “The Founder’s Ball – a celebration of the life of our Founder, Gerald Durrell, was a wonderful event, one that did Gerry proud! The combination of décor, entertainment, music, food and goodwill for Durrell was a heady and unforgettable mix. Our guests’ generosity in helping to ‘future-proof’ Gerry’s beloved Jersey Zoo was something I deeply appreciate and shall always remember.”
Durrell is continuing its GD100 celebrations until the end of the year. Its next event, the Durrell Lecture is due to take place on 4 November 2025 at the Jersey Opera House and will focus on celebrating Gerald Durrell’s vision, legacy and impact today. For the lecture, Durrell are delighted to be welcoming Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, as well as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who will be speaking alongside Dr Lee Durrell and Dr Mike Hudson, Director of Conservation Knowledge at Durrell.
Tickets will be available for the Durrell Lecture in the coming weeks via the Jersey Opera House website.