A WILDLIFE park has been named top employer, it has been revealed.

Marwell Wildlife, which owns and operates Marwell Zoo near Colden Common, is celebrating being named in the top 100 UK Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to work for in The Sunday Times Best Companies list 2020.

Marwell Wildlife is the only zoo featured in its category and it ranked 49th place overall.

The Best Companies list is an annual ranking and is worked out by measuring the UK’s happiest and most motivated workforces.

Marwell Wildlife employs 290 members of staff ranging from animal keepers, landscape and catering staff to conservation biologists and scientists in the UK and abroad.

This is the third time Marwell Wildlife has entered and been featured in the top 100 UK Best Not-for-Profit Organisations category, having previously been listed in 2018 and 2016.

Jo Deller, HR director at Marwell Wildlife said: “To be featured, once again, in the top one hundred Best Not-For-Profit Organisations list is a wonderful acknowledgement and a true testament to Marwell’s brand values; to be warm, welcoming, wise and contemporary.

“We understand and value the power of true employee engagement and the positive benefits this brings to both our people and our business. - and we place employee wellbeing at the centre of our organisation’s culture.”

It has been revealed that Marwell’s wellbeing initiatives include financially supported healthcare, an on-site occupational health advisor, a workplace choir, pilates and yoga classes.

Jo added: “Our somewhat quirky and well-received HR ‘Wellbeing Wheelbarrow’ regularly hand delivers important messages and communications to all of our people, full of treats, useful gadgets and a reminder of the employee assistance programme that is available to all.”

Marwell’s position was announced at a ceremony in London on February19 following an independent, national survey which measures employee engagement.

Marwell Wildlife is a global conservation charity leading programmes in the UK, Africa and across the world.

The charity owns and operates Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, which is home to more than 140 species.