One of the region’s top conservation charities is to change its name.
The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, will become Wild Planet Trust.
The name will be officially launched in June, with signage, branding and uniforms changing over the following months.
Director of Marketing and Development Pippa Craddock explained: “We’ve been moving towards this moment since 2012 – we have definitely not rushed into it! We’ve been a name in conservation for over 60 years. While we are proud of our history, and of Herbert Whitley, the man who founded Paignton Zoo and after whom the Trust was named, we felt it was the right time to change.
“Market research has shown that this new name is inspiring and engaging, it tells you that we are “about wildlife”, it’s catchy, easy and memorable. We wanted a name that would reflect our global reach and our desire to reach a younger audience.”
Executive Director Simon Tonge said: “The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust is a name that is much loved within our organisation, but has never had much resonance outside it. The time has come for us to unify all the different strands of our work under one banner and we think that Wild Planet Trust not only says who we are, and what we are working towards, but hints at our vision of how we would like the world to be.”
The new logo for Wild Planet Trust features a planet with hints of three colours. The blue is for the ocean, and for Herbert Whitley, who was intrigued by the colour blue in the natural world. The green is for biodiversity and terracotta for the land.
The typeface (Proxima nova) has been tested to make sure it’s good for people of different ages and reading abilities, for people who are colour-blind or have visual impairments. Paignton Zoo is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring 01803 697500.
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