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EGM
Board of Trustees

What impact could the EGM results have?

What happens if a vote of no confidence in the Board of Trustees is passed? 

 

If a majority FOR vote, signalling no confidence in the Board of Trustees, is passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), they may be required to step down. In this eventuality, the following steps will be taken:  

  • The current Board of Trustees will begin to transition to a new Board.  At least two Trustees will need to stay on temporarily to support recruitment.  
  • To ensure the new Board effectively fulfils its oversight and strategic responsibilities, recruitment will start for new Trustees, who will need high levels of expertise in areas such as conservation, governance and finance. Trustees are external professionals who volunteer their time, and it may be difficult to attract high-quality candidates after the EGM.  
  • New Trustees are approved at Annual General Meetings (AGM), so the appointment process will need to be accelerated to meet this September deadline. This will have a financial impact on the Trust and will move funds away from conservation work. 
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Despite the EGM resolution focusing on Jersey Zoo, there may also be a significant impact on how the Trust is run, including our global conservation programmes. This could include: 
  • A risk of Durrell failing its legal obligations as a charity. 
  • No movement forward with Durrell’s vision, strategy or projects and the inability to develop our new 2026 strategy to follow on from ‘Rewild our World’, which ends in 2025. 
  • Delays to Field Programme developments, impacting conservation progress and efforts across the globe. Work to attract new conservation partners may also be hindered. 
  • Delays to changes and improvements at Jersey Zoo, including new species, the new gorilla house build, planning of a new reptile and amphibian house, storm repairs, events, fundraising plans and commercial operations. 
  • Impacts on staff morale and the possible loss of key employees. 
  • The risk of Honorary Director, Lee Durrell, stepping down and moving away from the charity.  
  • Damage to partnerships that Durrell relies on to raise funds.  
  • The deflection of funds and senior management time from conservation to instead recruit a new Board of Trustees. 
The Board of Trustees recommends you vote AGAINST the EGM resolution. 

What will we do if the resolution is rejected? 

 

The Board of Trustees recommends you vote AGAINST the EGM resolution. If a majority AGAINST vote is passed at the EGM, then Durrell will: 

  • Continue with the daily operations of the Trust, which have been hugely impacted over the past few months because of the current campaign regarding the management of Jersey Zoo.
  • Continue professionalising management systems in line with projected growth and to meet the ever-growing challenge of species extinctions around the world. 
  • Reinforce internal communications to rebuild confidence within the Trust.
  • Proceed with our annual staff survey.
  • Focus on strategic planning with participation of staff at all levels. 
  • Ensure that planning for the Jersey Zoo site is an integral part of the new strategy. 
  • Prepare for the celebration of Gerald Durrell’s centenary birthday in 2025.
3. Dodo Gate At Les Augres Manor House At Jersey Zoo, Mid 70S Or Earlier

What role does the Senior Management Team currently play? 

The Senior Management Team comprises the CEO, Director of Zoo Operations, Director of Field Programmes, Director of Communications and Fundraising, Director of People and Values, Director of Finance, Director of Conservation Knowledge and Director of Commercial. 

They are ultimately responsible for the day-to-day running of the Trust. This includes the running of Jersey Zoo, as well as the field programmes Durrell manages across the world. 

Examples of activities the Senior Management Team oversee and are responsible for: 

  • Developing and delivering field programme work and conservation research projects 
  • Measuring our conservation impact 
  • Developing and delivering our conservation training programmes 
  • Managing the zoo site both as a visitor attraction as well as for education, training, research and other conservation purposes.  
  • The day-to-day care of the animals that we look after in Jersey and at our field programme sites around the world 
  • Undertaking fundraising activities and identifying opportunities for the Trust 
  • Managing the Trust’s financial resources  
  • Recruitment, policies and people management 
  • Commercial operations such as running our cafés, shops and accommodation 
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How much does the board get paid? 

All board positions are voluntary, which means they do not get paid for their role as Trustees. On occasion, they may receive other compensation such as reimbursements for travel to and from Durrell commitments. These are disclosed each year in the published annual report.  

Who are the current Board of Trustees?

The Board of Trustees are elected during Durrell’s Annual General Meetings. There are currently nine Trustees.  

What experience does the board have? 

 

The Board of Trustees has a dynamic range of experience and skills, including:  

  • Experience working in animal management, international wildlife conservation, professional governance, finance, law, retail, human resources and communications.  
  • Working for organisations such as the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Marwell Wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Natural History Museum, Eden Project and UNICEF. 
  • Roles they have undertaken include Chief Executive of Marwell Wildlife, Director of Conservation at ZSL, CEO of WCS Europe, chairing WAZA’s animal welfare and finance committees, Group Head of Brand & Content Strategy at Legal & General, being part of the statutory body overseeing the environmental and social actions and policies of a UK government department and Founder and Director of Paisaia European Landscape Foundation. 
  • Most Durrell trustees have served on the boards of other charities so bring a wealth of governance experience to their role.