Disadvantaged youngsters in Edinburgh given chance to become zookeeper for the day

Youngsters in Edinburgh have been given the chance to become a zookeeper for the day.

The Wellbeing to Work (WOW) project – run by Space at the Broomhouse Hub – aims to help disadvantaged pupils who have not achieved the grades they wanted in school.

As part of the programme, the charity has developed a new partnership with Edinburgh Zoo where the participants come once a week to learn about animal conservation and welfare.

They also hope the initiative will help to build confidence and develop employability skills.

The project helps 16-24 year olds develop employability skills. STV News

Lyndsey Fischer, learning and development manager at Space at the Broomhouse Hub, said: “A lot of people think that if they haven’t done well or they haven’t enjoyed school that they can’t then do well afterwards and I think that time has sort of proved that actually that’s not the case.

“There’s lots of learning after school and lots of skills that can be developed and we have a number of people that go on to do very successful, satisfying careers, even if they didn’t do that well in school.”

Jack Graham, who turns 16 next month, feels the project has been a great alternative to school.

The participants are learning about animal welfare and conservation. STV News

He said: “I was having trouble concentrating in classes and I feel like this is a better alternative because it’s more physical and hands on.

“If you’re in University or College, you’re not actually doing the job, here you can make mistakes and then you can try again the next week as well.”

The project has inspired some participants to work with animals in the future.

Craig McCabe, 18, said: “I really love animals and I really want to help the animals in nature and help them to stay away from extinction and to help them to survive.”

The community hub is also on the lookout for more volunteers to help bring their projects to life next year. Anyone interested in either opportunities can get in touch via their website.

Community and discovery programme officer at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Rebecca Parr, said: “You don’t need a degree to work in a zoo, experience is really what matters most, grades aren’t everything.

“For our zookeepers in particular, experience is one of the most important skills, experience is how you learn to look after the animals, learn the signs of them.

“A meerkat doesn’t particularly care what grade you get, it cares about your ability to look after them and to know their tells about their welfare.”