Work Experience
Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital offers work experience placements to help you gain that essential hands-on experience with animals that future employers or training courses require. Meet some amazing wildlife that you would never normally get the chance to see. Tiggywinkles treats over 10,000 British wild creatures every year, so there is always plenty of species to get up close to.
Christmas 2024 Placements
Placements are available from Saturday 21st December 2024 to Sunday 5th January 2025 for set dates, as follows:
Sun to Thu
Sun 22nd Dec to Sun 5th Jan, 11 days.
9am to 4pm. (Note: Christmas Day - 8am to 10.30am; Boxing Day - 8am to 11.30am; New Year’s Day - 8am to 11.30am)
Tue to Sat
Sat 21st Dec to Sat 4th Jan, 11 days
9am to 4pm (Note: Christmas Day - 8am to 10.30am; Boxing Day - 8am to 11.30am; New Year’s Day - 8am to 11.30am)
Fri to Mon
Sat 21st Dec to Sun 5th Jan, 10 days
9am to 4pm (Working day is 9am to 4pm, unless otherwise stated.)
You need to be available for ALL days in your chosen block please, including any bank holidays that may fall in your working days. Please do bear in mind the lack of public transport over public holidays.
Easter 2025 Placements – please check back in January for available dates, we will not be accepting applications before then.
Weekday Work Experience Placements
Term-time, Weekday Placements
We are offering husbandry placements to do a minimum of 10 days in a row, on either Mondays or Fridays only, through the term-time period.
You need to be available for a full day, 9am to 5pm, able to work independently and assist with the cleaning and feeding of animals in our busy hospital. You should be available for all 10 days in a row.
Week day work Experience Application form
Work Experience Tasks
The main tasks are hands-on husbandry of the thousand plus wild animals currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at our hospital – which means you will spend your day cleaning cages and enclosures, preparing and providing food, with some handling of a variety of wild species. In addition you may be asked to help out with:
- Enclosure & site maintenance as required, which may involve weeding or painting
- Assisting with deliveries of food stuffs
Please note, we only offer non-clinical placements.
PLEASE NOTE: applications for the next calendar year should be submitted after 1 September.
Requirements
- Students must be over 16 and able to work independently.
- You must have in date tetanus cover.
- Tasks are very physical, so be prepared for working inside or outside, whatever the weather.
- Priority is given to students already on an animal related training programme.
- Extended placements (of longer than 3 weeks) are only offered after completion of a trial period.
- Dress code is dark-coloured, hard wearing trousers (leggings or tracksuit are not acceptable, although in very hot weather knee length shorts are permitted); sturdy boots (no trainers ideally, as you need to step in Footbaths multiple times a day); plain dark T-shirt / Sweatshirt (no sleeveless tops). Wellies and waterproofs are recommended when working outside – dark-coloured outdoor clothing only.
- No jewellery and long hair must be tied back at all times.
- No known allergies to animals, animal feed (including nuts) or latex.
As a charity, Tiggywinkles cannot offer any financial support or help with accommodation or expenses. You will need to arrange your own travel or place to stay if required. Tiggywinkles may terminate the work experience placement immediately if any Health and Safety or Animal Welfare rules are broken, or any placement student behaves in an unprofessional manner.
