A new sandy beach for the Chilean flamingos, new bark and stones for the Coatis to root around in, a facelift for the Rainforest Theatre and School Room and new fencing to screen the Penguin’s filtration plant. This huge work programme was completed yesterday thanks to the efforts of staff from PokerStars, led by volunteers from the Friends of the Curraghs Wildlife Park, an Isle of Man registered charity.

The work involved many weeks of planning, to assemble the 20 tonnes of hard core, 24 tonnes of sand and 10 tonnes of bark used in the afternoon, not to mention 30 litres of wood stain and 20 litres of paint and all the associated tools and equipment.

Isle of Man based PokerStars staff were joined by colleagues from Ireland and Malta for a team meeting, the afternoon of which was devoted to its corporate giving arm, 'Helping Hands' , which enables staff to take time off to volunteer for local charities.

Sue Hammett, PokerStar's Department Head of Corporate Giving, said: “We first worked on a major project at the Curraghs Wildlife Park in 2013 and we are delighted to bring our army of hard working employees back again. The weather gods were on our side and we achieved a great amount in a short space of time – everyone enjoyed themselves and could see how much their efforts were contributing to the Park and its animals”.

Kathleen Graham, General Manager of the Curraghs Wildlife Park said: “We are really pleased with the results of PokerStars’ hard work and their generous donation. Our Coatis will love exploring the new materials in their enclosure - they are naturally inquisitive and it is important that we find ways to give them things to do to stop them getting bored. Our Rainforest Theatre is used with school groups and for popular presentations for our visitors and looks so much smarter now. We are also grateful to the Friends for organising work parties such as this – they benefit both our animals and our visitors and make a real difference.”