{"id":3091,"title":"Meet our Head Penguin, Darren","description":"Our founder shares how volunteering with penguins inspired The Kind Penguins and the importance of kindness.","content":"<h3>Meet Darren, our founder and Head Penguin, as he shares more about how volunteering with endangered penguins led him to set up The Kind Penguins - and how a little kindness goes a long way.<\/h3><p><br \/><\/p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lAwfZZr420c\/?modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;vq=highres\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><h3>Video transcript:<\/h3><p>Hi there. My name is Darren. I created and run The Kind Penguins and I thought I would use this opportunity today just to say hello [to toy penguin: hi!] and to introduce myself.<\/p><p>I spent the last 26 years working in a variety of environmental and social causes and roles. I started out in environment and conservation. So, everything from wildlife conservation, archaeology through to climate change policy and more. I moved into the world of education and skills at one point - helping get young people interested in science, technology, engineering and maths; all the skills that are really important for the future. And then into diversity and inclusion roles - helping workplaces and communities become more inclusive and accepting for all.<\/p><p>Last year [2019] was pretty big year for me because I decided to take some time out and do something for myself. I'd had a lifelong ambition to volunteer on international conservation work. I'd never done it. I always told myself, you know, there are other things that are much more important and they normally were at that point in time. But, with a little bit of encouragement from my amazing husband, I decided to actually do this and take some time out.<\/p><p>So I stepped out of my comfort zone and into the penguin zone [to toy penguin: hi!] and I headed down to South Africa and volunteered for a few months on penguin conservation work there.<\/p><p>The first thing people asked me when I told them I was doing this was \u201cLike, are you really serious? You're giving up your job to go do this?\u201d and I was like, \u201cyeah!\u201d. The second question was normally \u201cDo they really have penguins in Africa?\u201d\u2026 and yes, they do. Surprisingly, the African penguin. It\u2019s an endangered species - in danger because of things like climate change, overfishing, pollution, habitat loss -all those things created unfortunately by humans.<\/p><p>So I went down to South Africa and volunteered there and I was exposed to a whole new world of penguins\u2026 and more sardines and penguin poop than I ever imagined, but you truly get used to the smell! And it was a really hands-on role. I was involved in everything from helping rehabilitate injured penguins to get them back into the wild; raising abandoned penguin chicks (chicks that had been left by their parents for various reasons), right through to living on Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town for a few weeks and helping monitor the breeding success of penguins in the wild to check how things like overfishing and climate change and pollution were affecting the population.<\/p><p>It was a fantastic experience. I wholeheartedly recommend wildlife volunteering; if you can do it, please do. It is an amazing experience for the animals that you're working with, the people you're working with and for yourself.<\/p><p>When I came back to the UK, I\u2019d been inspired by the kindness of what I\u2019d seen on that volunteering journey. The kindness of people towards an endangered species; the kindness of people working and volunteering in the conservation world towards each other and helping support each other on their individual journeys and getting the most out of what they were doing as well.<\/p><p>And I wanted to do something that really captured the causes I've been passionate about for the last 26 years. Frankly, also there's enough doom and gloom in the world and we could all use a little bit more kindness these days.<\/p><p>So The Kind Penguins came to be - all about actually bringing a bit of kindness to people, to the planet and to yourself - because if there's one thing that the last year has taught me, it's that you should take time out and be kind to yourself. Whether that's a few minutes of the day to sit and do whatever it is that makes you happy -\u00a0grabbing your favourite book, listening to your favourite music, having a cup of tea and watching the sunset\u2026 whatever it is. Or whether it's taking some proper time out and going and doing something that you've always dreamed of doing.<\/p><p>Make time out for yourself. Be kind to yourself. Because if you are kind to yourself, you can be better able to be kind to people, to the planet and to those around you. And that's pretty important and pretty awesome.<\/p><p>So, that's all I wanted to do today. Say hi, give you a little bit of background. I hope you're having an awesome week. I hope you have a fantastic day and no matter what you're doing or how you're feeling, just remember that you are pretty cool and the world is a better place with you in it.<\/p><p>Thank you. Stay tuned. I hope to see you again [to toy penguin: and you as well!].<\/p><p>Take care and bye for now.<\/p><p><strong>Darren, founder and Head Penguin at The Kind Penguins<\/strong><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/5e6e1f2a7a9742.09849990.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"47413272\" \/>\u00a0<\/p>","urlTitle":"headpenguin","url":"\/blog\/headpenguin\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/headpenguin\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/kindpenguins.com\/blog\/headpenguin\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1584274003,"updatedAt":1605111380,"publishedAt":1600192631,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":53088,"name":"The Kind Penguins"},"tags":[{"id":889,"code":"about-us","name":"AboutUs","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/about-us\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e6e1af43c3b80.07703400.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e6e1af43c3b80.07703400.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e6e1af43c3b80.07703400.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":null,"metaDescription":null,"keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":2269,"title":"Our story begins","url":"\/blog\/our-story-begins\/","urlTitle":"our-story-begins","division":53088,"description":"From a London office, to saving penguins, to a mission to make the world a kinder place.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e0e107e59e0d0.24386987.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e0e107e59e0d0.24386987.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":2300,"title":"What you're saying","url":"\/blog\/what-you-say\/","urlTitle":"what-you-say","division":53088,"description":"What you're saying about The Kind Penguins and what matters to you.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/c53eitJOlSsBiETUUSExhizHJndlbiT1J7ib1bljaQ1WVrwN.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/c53eitJOlSsBiETUUSExhizHJndlbiT1J7ib1bljaQ1WVrwN.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":2425,"title":"Penguins do Spotify!","url":"\/blog\/spotify\/","urlTitle":"spotify","division":53088,"description":"What the penguins are listening to - starting with Kindness and with Positivity playlists!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e2739e09162c9.88180441.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5e2739e09162c9.88180441.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}