Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Friskney to provide free sessions to school children thanks to grant from Platform Housing Group

A wildlife park will be able to deliver free sessions to school children after being awarded funding from a housing provider.

Starting this September, The Parrot Zoo Trust at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, in Friskney, will be giving outdoor learning sessions to youngsters thanks to a grant from Platform Housing Group.

Organisers at the park applied to Platform’s Community Chest, a funding pot for customers, local charities, clubs and other not-for-profit organisations to apply for if their work or project directly benefits its clients.

The trust was awarded the money after being assessed by a customer experience panel.

Wendy Moore, the funding and engagement manager at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded these funds.

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“It will ensure the pupils can visit the park and engage with our Education Officer, promoting a wider understanding of animal welfare and the natural world.”

The park welcomes more than 1,500 school children each year and feels that outdoor learning benefits them in a range of different ways. The funding means the park can deliver the project – entitled Learning at the Park – over two academic years, starting this September.

Marion Duffy, chief operations officer at Platform Housing Group, said: “We are so pleased to support this fabulous initiative; children from low-income families are often excluded from taking part in costly outdoor learning experiences, so this will be very much welcomed in this area of Lincolnshire.”