Henry Brothers Construction, part of the Northern Ireland-based Henry Group, has been selected to deliver the ambitious £25 million Global Conservation Centre at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire.

This state-of-the-art facility is poised to make a significant contribution to the global fight against wildlife extinction.

The project, which has attracted an £18m investment from the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund—the largest single Government grant ever awarded to a UK zoo—will be dedicated to advancing global conservation solutions. It is being developed by UK conservation charity Twycross Zoo in partnership with Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and several leading UK universities.

The centre will serve as a hub for the zoo's expanding global conservation work, cutting-edge scientific research, and education programmes. It will also provide a community space designed to inspire, train, and facilitate the next generation of conservation leaders under one roof.

Ian Taylor, Managing Director of Henry Brothers Construction, expressed the company's enthusiasm: "The Global Conservation Centre at Twycross Zoo is a truly pioneering and innovative scheme which will have global implications for wildlife, biodiversity and conservation. Henry Brothers is thrilled to have been appointed on this project and is looking forward to working with our partners to deliver such a world-class development."

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Mr Taylor also noted the unique aspect of the project: "As a company, we have wide experience of working at a huge range of different sites, but this is the first time that Henry Brothers Construction has had great apes, tigers and other exotic animals as our neighbours. It really is a memorable scheme that the whole team is excited to be involved in."

Henry Brothers' partners on this project include HLM Architects, civil and structural engineer Hexa, and Couch, Perry, Wilkes for mechanical and electrical engineering.

Beyond its conservation impact, the Global Conservation Centre is expected to bring substantial benefits to the local area, sustaining Twycross Zoo as a vital education and tourism asset, generating 90 direct jobs, and contributing £3.9 million in GVA per annum.

Construction is set to begin later in June 2025, with the Global Conservation Centre campus slated to open in late 2026.

Dr Rebecca Biddle, Chief Conservation Officer at Twycross Zoo and Vice Chair of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), highlighted the urgency of the centre's mission: "The unrelenting pressure that we face from the dual climate and biodiversity loss crises, pose a serious threat to the survival of our planet. Our conservation efforts need to be bigger, bolder and more united. Zoos are being called on to do more in this mission, and the Global Conservation Centre is our answer to that call."

She concluded: "Uniquely designed and positioned to allow international conservationists to work in connection with the natural world, we believe that being alongside the species we are working to save will offer unrivalled opportunities to study, learn and develop real-world solutions for endangered wildlife."

Henry Brothers Construction, with offices in Beeston, Nottingham, is part of The Henry Group, a Northern Ireland-based business encompassing manufacturing and construction companies, known for its extensive track record in various sectors including education, defence, and healthcare.