About
Orangutan Appeal UK
About us
Who we are
Orangutan Appeal UK is a registered charity based in the south of England. Founded in 2000 as a one-person operation, it now consists of three trustees, four UK staff, and 12 staff members based at the world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
We strive to protect the remaining wild populations of orangutans by providing support and funding for projects in Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo.
We do this through the rehabilitation and preservation of orangutans and the conservation of their habitat and by raising awareness of the plight of this great ape.
With over 16,000 supporters located across the world, we are able to communicate our passion and expertise to a global audience to inspire a collective movement for the conservation and welfare of this critically endangered species.
About us
Our Mission
To conserve the critically endangered orangutan and their habitat through rescue, rehabilitation, and education.
Timeline
Our story
The charity was founded by Susan Sheward MBE, who became increasingly aware of the acute challenges faced by orangutans in Borneo during her visit to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in 1999. Initially as a tourist, and then having shown great interest, she was allowed further access and given the opportunity to view the operations of the centre up close. Her growing involvement and access to information about their work revealed the demanding circumstances faced by the orangutans and the staff caring for them. Witnessing these conditions, Sue was determined to take action and make a positive difference.
Susan got straight to work on her return from Borneo raising money from raffles, jumble sales and a charity racing car track day. She tirelessly dug at the pockets of countless people, and thanks to their generosity, managed to raise enough money to fund the first project - a new nursery!
After delicate negotiations with the Malaysian Government, the project was approved. We are proud to have been the first Non-Government Organisation (NGO) accepted by the Sabah government.
With the new nursery successfully completed, and interest in Orangutan Appeal UK growing, plans were started for the next project and the journey began...
