Banham Zoo reveals £500,000 fundraiser for education centre

Banham Zoo has launched its most ambitious and largest fundraiser yet as part of plans to create a new education centre.

The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA), which runs Banham, is looking to raise £500,000 to fund the project, which it hopes will help it to continue its popular conservation and education programmes with schools.

Under the plans, the new building will feature viewable science labs, classrooms and interactive learning spaces to provide children and visitors with a unique, hands-on experience.

Ian Bartlett, ZSEA chief executive, said: “Our new education facility will be the centrepiece of our fast-growing education programme, as we prepare the next generation of our planet’s conservationists and guardians.

“The pandemic and rising costs have had a significant impact on zoos across the country and, while we continue to operate, we need to make sure that our future, and the future of our animals, remains secure.”

The ZSEA have also launched a new corporate partnership programme aimed at involving national and local businesses in financing the project.

Mr Bartlett said: “This campaign allows individuals and businesses to boost their own sustainability ambitions and play a big part in their local communities by getting actively involved.”

here are also plans to organise a competition with a chance to win a safari, and a sponsored walk.

With a new home education project launched in September, ZSEA is hoping to reach more than 5,000 remote-educated children across Norfolk and Suffolk, engaging them with the natural world and bringing science to life.