Volunteers from Old Mutual International visited the Curraghs Wildlife Park to help revamp animal enclosures.

A total of 14 employees from the company’s regional support team spent a day helping The Friends of the Curraghs Wildlife Park to spruce up a new enclosure, with a new deep water pool for the short clawed otters.

The Old Mutual International team also helped to clear more than 100 metres of ditches to improve drainage systems and provide fresh water to the enclosure.

In addition to supplying extra muscle power to complete the work, the team also used the experience as a team-building exercise.

Every year, all employees are encouraged to do seven hours of volunteer work with a charity or community group, and the Wildlife Park assignment is part of a range of Old Mutual International initiatives to support local projects, and help communities prosper.

In June this year, 27 employees helped the Beach Buddies charity and spent two days cleaning up beaches at Castletown Bay and Derbyhaven.

Another example of Old Mutual International’s community initiatives is its ‘Charities of the Year’ programme.

Last year, staff raised funds in a variety of ways – including cake bakes, dress down Fridays – and the £30,000 total raised was divided equally between ManxSPCA and Alzheimer’s Society Isle of Man.

Old Mutual International is a leading cross-border provider of financial solutions for local and expatriate investors and one of the island’s biggest private sector employers with approximately 500 staff at its headquarters at King Edward Bay House in Onchan.