Zurich volunteers have put in more than 1000 hours to build trails at Archallagan

Fri, 29 Sep 2023

Over 200 volunteers from Zurich on the Isle of Man have been building trails, a play area and bike track at Archallagan Forest as part of a collaboration with the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA).

During five days in September this year, 220 volunteers undertook more than 1,000 hours of work which will benefit many visitors to Archallagan (known by some as the ‘Forest of a Thousand Trails’).

Serena Wood, Investments Operations Manager, Zurich Isle of Man said: “We at Zurich love to get involved with community initiatives and understand how areas like Archallagan Forest are integral to the wellbeing of our local environment and community, so it seemed a great opportunity to collaborate with DEFA to make improvements to the original work carried out nine years ago, as well as adding some lovely new features like the Little People’s Trail and the stargazing bench.

This has been a huge team effort from Zurich staff, using their volunteer time to work together to make this happen. A special mention must go to Hannah Brearley, one of Zurich’s summer interns, who played a leading role in project management and event organisation for the work at Archallagan.”

Mark Cady, Chief Operating Officer, Zurich International Life Ltd thanked DEFA, John Callister, Juan Callister, and Dave Skillan for “great support, knowledge, and advice throughout”.

Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, Clare Barber MHK thanked Zurich for its generous support and commitment to the Archallagan Forest project.

She added: “The improvements made by these dedicated volunteers will benefit the entire community for years to come. I look forward to continuing our partnerships with the local community to make further improvements to our sites.”

 

 

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