Wildlife Aid - Important Update

We wish to make you aware of a significant update on Wildlife Aid's future, following the passing of our founder and CEO, my dear Dad, Simon Cowell, earlier this summer.

This has been a very challenging period for all of us, here. Losing Dad, who embodied all-things WAF, who has lived and breathed the charity from day one, leaves a permanent hole in our very fabric.

Dad was a one-off, but at his request, and backed by the trustees, I have accepted the position of Managing Director with immediate effect. Alongside Alice and Douglas in our senior leadership team, we will strive to take the charity forward in Dad’s memory. It is in this spirit that I’m able to share the following good news with you, today.

Simon’s Last Wish

Dad’s last wish was for the charity to continue as a beacon of hope for our wildlife, and we long-believed that due to legal technicalities this would mean relocating after he passed.

However, since plans were first drawn up six years ago to create a new centre, external economic factors have nearly tripled the build cost to an untenable £15m. Facing these unmanageable costs, in his final months, Dad drafted alternative plans to ensure the charity’s survival and the realisation of his vision.

In the weeks before he died, Dad spent his time navigating numerous legal hurdles to enable WAF to purchase its current site, its home. Even with his time being so limited, he was determined to save the charity, for the animals that need us.

What this means for WAF

The heart-warming result of this hard work is that our hospital will stay exactly where it all began, and Dad’s wish for WAF to continue and grow will be responsibly realised.

We will be investing the funds raised from the Simon’s Last Wish campaign (an extraordinary £750k!) in a much-needed transformation of our existing centre. This will improve our capacity and facilities, ensuring that we will be able to help more animals than ever, for years to come, securing Dad’s legacy.

What about 20 acres?

The additional 20 acres of land that we purchased is now and will remain a haven for wildlife. It will still become an educational site, and will also be used for reintroduction projects, rewilding and, in time, as a hub for the local community.

This is WAF’s home, and we are over the moon that we will be able to continue working from where Dad founded us, all those years ago.

So, a heartfelt thank you for journeying with us this far, for your support, and thank you, Dad, Alice, Doug and WAF’s board of trustees for their unwavering belief in our work.

There’s now much work to do! As the new blueprints are drawn up, we will share the exciting transformation with you, and if you have any questions regarding the new developments, please do not hesitate to contact me at lou@wildlifeaid.org.uk.

Yours most sincerely,

Lou Cowell

Managing Director, WAF