Chester Zoo has finally been given the green light to reopen on June 15 after it recently launched an urgent appeal to the public following government orders to stay closed indefinitely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo said that it had “tried to stay positive during the pandemic” and really wanted to “be a beacon of hope”, but the crisis and uncertainty had unfortunately left it fighting for its future.
After a huge outpouring of support, the zoo then launched their #SaveOurZoo appeal, which asked the public to help them raise a whopping 1.6 million per month to keep the zoo alive – and in just over a week they have already generated a staggering £2.4 million.
The support has been overwhelming, so much so that they were tonight told that they’ll finally be able to reopen on June 15, during a move by the government which will allow outdoor attractions to open back up where the risk of coronavirus transmission is low.
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Speaking about the news, Jamie Christon, Chief Operating Officer at Chester Zoo, said:
“A week ago we were in despair, not knowing when we would reopen, or if we could even survive if our gates had to remain closed for much longer.
“But the unwavering support of the public, our members, those MPs who listened to us and backed our corner, and our global community has completely humbled us. It’s wonderful that, together, we have been heard. We’ll be forever grateful to those who lent us their voice in our moment of need. To them we say thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts. We are also incredibly thankful to the Government for taking this step, for us, and for conservation of threatened species.
“This isn’t over just yet though. There’s no denying that the zoo has suffered severe financial damage over the past three months and the road to recovery will be long and uncertain.
“However, we now start the process of rebuilding this great charity zoo, as we prepare to safely welcome back visitors through our gates – albeit in much, much fewer numbers – from Monday 15 June. We are in no doubt that this is why now, today (10/06/2020), on the 89th birthday of Chester Zoo, we have hope that we will survive.”
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Chester Zoo
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will provide an update on the easing of the national lockdown, and further changes which are expected to take effect from 15 June.
Mr Johnson is expected to announce that ALL zoos will be allowed to reopen from 15 June, subject to appropriate social distancing measures being in place.
This will include keeping indoor exhibitions, such as reptile houses, closed and ensuring other amenities like cafes are in line with the government’s wider guidance.
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A Downing Street official said: “People are continuing to make huge sacrifices to reduce the spread of coronavirus and avoid a second spike, but we know it is tough and where we can safely open up more attractions, and it is supported by the science, we will do so.
“This is by necessity a careful process, but we hope the reopening of safari parks and zoos will help provide families with more options to spend time outdoors, while supporting the industry caring for these incredible animals.”
The news comes on the eve of Chester Zoo’s 89th birthday… Happy birthday, Chester Zoo.
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UK set to be battered by storms as ‘unprecedented’ El Niño arrives this autumn
Emily Sergeant
The UK is being told to brace for a series of storms this autumn when the ‘unprecedented’ El Niño weather event arrives.
It’s already been a summer of extremes for the country, with multiple heatwaves over the past couple of months, but now it appears that autumn and winter are set to have some extremes of their own, as the Met Office is warning that this upcoming El Niño could be one of the most significant in recent memory.
El Niño is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5°C above the long-term average, which therefore impacts global rainfall patterns and average temperatures.
The natural warming of sea temperatures is forecast to reach more than 3°C in the coming months, according to the Met Office, making this year’s weather event have the potential to be ‘the largest since the 19th century’.
The UK is set to be battered by storms as ‘unprecedented’ El Niño arrives this autumn / Credit: Johannes Plenio (via Unsplash)
El Niño will create a heightened risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa, and north eastern Australia, but over in north western Europe – including the UK – it means we are likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions.
The UK, and of course Greater Manchester, is absolutely no stranger to a storm around this time of year, but forecasters say this could be an entirely different beast.
“We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event,” warned Professor Adam Scaife, who is the Head of Long Range Forecasting at the Met Office.
“I have never seen an El Nino signal this intense in our forecasts.”
Professor Scaife concluded: “A typical El Nino leads to an equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperature rise of between one to 2°C, with 2°C being a really big event. This implies that, if the forecast is accurate, and other forecast systems show similar extreme values, then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Niño and its worldwide climate influences.’
Forecasters and officials, however, have warned that it could take months of sustained rainfall before rivers, reservoirs, and groundwaters are ‘completely replenished’ – which is when a drought can officially be declared as over.
It also warned drought conditions could persist into the new year as, despite El Niño, as current forecasts do not suggest this autumn will have the amount of rainfall needed to drive recovery.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Hundreds of staff to strike at four Greater Manchester hospitals next week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week.
More than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – are walking out for three days next week after union UNISON says an offer to ‘resolve’ a dispute was withdrawn before discussions could take place.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 24, Wednesday 26, and Friday 28 August.
In particular, staff from all four sites will also gather in Salford on Wednesday (26 August) for a ‘unified’ day of protest.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
“Those at the top of NCA have shown a lack of leadership and made their disregard for their staff clear,” explained UNISON North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan.
“A deal was put on the table but taken away before we had chance to talk it over. We are ready to continue negotiations, but it’s obvious NCA has no intention of resolving this.
“This isn’t complicated. Staff are simply asking for what their contract says they’re entitled to. Nothing more.”
The Manc -
9th June 2020 
