FE News | Kirklees College unveils £1.5m reptile house at specialist animal care center

On Saturday 22nd June, Kirklees College (@kirkleescollege) opened the doors to its new Reptile House at the college’s Taylor Hill Animal Center in Huddersfield. The college has invested £1.5 million in this specialist facility, which replaces the current reptile greenhouse and houses a range of modern training equipment, including an aquatics centre, reptile house and workshop space.

The new state-of-the-art facility was opened by special celebrity guest Matt Jackson-Smith from Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet during a day of community fun at the centre. The film crew also filmed segments for the show during Matt’s visit for the next series of the popular TV show, including the new centre, existing facilities and a range of animals.

Hundreds of people from the local community and friends and family of Kirklees College staff also came out to enjoy the day. There was face painting, animal handling, games, quizzes and craft stalls to get the whole family involved. Taylor Hill Animal Center has been running community days for a number of years and they are always a hit, allowing the public a rare chance to see all the amazing and adorable animals that call the center home.

During the opening ceremony Stephen Finney, Curriculum Area Manager for Animal Care and Earth Studies said:

“We have welcomed thousands of students through the doors of Taylor Hill Animal Center over the years and have seen firsthand how our center inspires young people to pursue careers in animal care. This new building will help the college to future-proof its provision in this essential vocation and be able to inspire the next generation and create opportunities for local young people to study animal care.”

Stephen Finney went on to thank Palvinder and the college for investing in the facility. Palvinder added:

“This new facility is a testament to our college values ​​of kindness, unity and excellence as we have worked together in the facility to create an excellent facility for current and future students to enjoy. Thank you to everyone involved in planning, building and opening the Reptile House, your commitment to this project is a testament to our college’s mission to create opportunities, to change lives.”

As the college prepares to welcome a new cohort of students in September 2024, the opening of the Reptile House was also a chance for Taylor Hill Animal Center staff and students to come together and celebrate the successes of 2023/24.