Sparsholt College Group achieves mark of excellence in BIAZA Accreditation 

Sparsholt College Group’s (SCG) Animal Health and Welfare Research Centre (AHWRC) and Aquatic Research Centre (ARC) achieved a mark of excellence in zoos and aquariums. SCG has attained BIAZA Accredited status for demonstrating reaching the world class standards set by the body for the best zoos and aquariums in the UK and Ireland, confirming that SCG’s AHWRC and ARC ranks among the top zoos and aquariums in the country. 

SCG is among the first to be accredited in the new scheme which has been launched by BIAZA. The comprehensive accreditation process includes screenings by industry experts, questionnaires and plenty of documented evidence. The process goes above and beyond the UK/Ireland’s zoo licensing inspection and marks the extra efforts of good zoos and aquariums in providing the very best in animal care and recognises their work to create a better planet for animals and people.  

SCG is committed to nature and is proud of its many achievements including: 

• Being nominated for the BIAZA Great British Wildlife Restoration Award for our conservation and breeding work with the Heath Tiger beetle. 

• Introducing crush training to our Zebu heard and successfully managing to test for tuberculosis (TB) this year. 

Julie Milburn, Principal and CEO of SCG, shared her thoughts on the accreditation:

“We are immensely proud of this achievement which reflects our ongoing commitment to providing our learners with an exceptional and forward-thinking educational experience that prepares them for their careers.” 

“The staff members involved with the AHWRC and the ARC work tirelessly to ensure we maintain the highest standards, so this accreditation is thoroughly deserved.” 

Shani Ratnayake, AHWRC Manager, commented:

“We are extremely proud to be a BIAZA accredited zoo and will always to aim to achieve the highest standards of animal welfare. It is really important to us to teach best practice to our learners, so that they can take this knowledge into their future careers.” 

Dr Jo Judge, the CEO of BIAZA congratulated SCG on their achievement. She said:

“Receiving accredited status is not an easy thing to do. It is testament to the passion and hard work of every member of staff.” 

“Our accreditation program means visitors can be sure that BIAZA zoos and aquariums are dedicated to looking after their animals to the highest standard and to inspirational work in conservation and education. We need good zoos and aquariums more than ever. We face a nature crisis, and we have the power to make a big difference.” 

In 2023, BIAZA zoos and aquariums collectively welcomed 32 million visitors, whose visits supported 1650 conservation projects, 1.2 million educational sessions and 1,346 research projects. These ranged from conserving elephants in Nigeria to reintroducing harvest mice here in the UK and providing schools with camera traps to explore our native wildlife.