Extending the Leeds PIPES project to our furry friends at Lotherton

Extending the Leeds PIPES project to our furry friends at Lotherton Wildlife World

Vital Energi in partnership with Lotherton Wildlife World, and Leeds City Council, are sponsoring the newest animal enclosure at Lotherton, on behalf of the Leeds PIPES project. The latest enclosure will ensure its new primates have a warm place they can call home offering comfort without compromise.

Lotherton Wildlife World is a key community space in Leeds, and a fun, educational facility for young people. As part of our ongoing mission to inform and engage, we’re continuing to raise awareness about the Leeds PIPES project through this latest initiative.

The enclosure was officially opened on Tuesday 30th September by Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, and Regional Director at Vital Energi, Andrew Wightman. Young people from local organisation ‘CATCH’ also attended to assist with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a ‘Meet the Wallabies’ session.

The CATCH (Community Action To Create Hope) organisation is a Leeds-based charity dedicated to helping young people unlock their potential through positive mentorship, community support, and engaging activities.

The new enclosure is one of several initiatives completed as part of the project. Throughout the scheme, the team has actively engaged with the local community and beyond, via a range of drop-in events, educational sessions, and involvement opportunities within the project.

  • 30 stakeholder engagement events held
  • 14 school & college Climate Education workshops hosted
  • 15 net-zero apprentices on the project
  • 430 green jobs created
  • 560 young people reached via our initiatives (so far)

The Leeds PIPES network provides homes, businesses, and public buildings with affordable, reliable, low carbon, heat and hot water, saving up to 6,450 tonnes of carbon each year. With the network rapidly expanding, now connecting to historic buildings such as Leeds Civic Hall, it was only right to extend our support to the neighbouring species at Lotherton, because a greener future should belong to every species.

To witness the journey of this project from the early stages to where it is today is impressive, but what’s even more inspiring is how that journey continues through initiatives like the Lotherton Wildlife World enclosure. Our partnership with Lotherton, and Leeds City Council, is a great example of how our collaborations go way beyond the completion of a single project. A huge congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this project to life, and a very warm welcome to the newest residents at the enclosure.

Mike Worrall , Project Director at Vital Energi

This new enclosure is a hugely positive addition to the Lotherton Wildlife World Zoo. The lessons learned on creating energy efficient enclosures will be put to good use as we continue to improve and develop the zoo.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Executive Member at Leeds City Council

We’re really excited about the new purpose-built indoor housing for our Cotton Top Tamarins. It will enable us to provide the perfect living conditions, being able to mimic the same tropical environment they need to thrive. Cotton Tops are critically endangered in their native Colombia, mainly because of deforestation for farming and settlements, so it’s great that zoos like ours can play a part in their survival through education about their plight and breeding programmes.

Daniel Messer, Zoo Manager at Lotherton Wildlife World

The new space is now officially open and available to visit at Lotherton Wildlife World.

Find out more about the Leeds PIPES project here Leeds PIPES Case Study