Worksop charity builds new owl safety boxes with help from local Wickes store

Worksop’s Alternative Programme Education have built a collection of sanctuaries for its family of owls that will keep the birds of prey safe and warm during the cold weather while students continue to enjoy the on-site wildlife.

A.P.E is a school and local charity who work alongside young people who find it difficult to adjust to mainstream education. They allow children to take part in personalised education programmes.

The donation of building supplies were made by Wickes in Worksop as part of its ongoing community programme, aiming to support local groups and organisations by providing relevant products to help them with essential maintenance, renovation or to complete new projects.

Store manager, Tanya Tozer said: “We’re passionate about our local community and when we heard about Alternative Programme Education’s need for support, we were delighted to be able to step in and provide them with the products they needed.

"It’s been great to see how the boxes will help to protect the owls from the cold to ensure students can enjoy them all year round.

"We welcome any local community group to get in touch to see if we can help with their next project.”

Insulated boxes help to shield the family of eight owls from the weather conditions.

A.P.E is not just home to owls, they also have monkeys, llamas, yaks and more.

The animals are spread out across the 32 acres of land, providing emotional support for the students and help to enrich their educational experience.

A.P.E director, Karen Dukes said: “We are thrilled with the donation from Wickes, which will help us to keep our beautiful owls safe and warm during winter, particularly with Storms Eunice and Franklin arriving over the recent weeks.

"We’re very excited for our students to enjoy watching the owls in their new and cosy hideaways until summer and beyond.”

The Wickes community programme is open to all local community groups seeking assistance for improvement projects. Any groups interested in donations should visit their local store and speak to the manager.

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