Snakes Alive! Call Centre Staff go Animal Crackers

If you spotted the Pink Panther strolling around Nottingham in cahoots with Sylvester the Cat, the Dulux Dog and Gnasher from Denis the Menace, don’t panic, you’re were not going barking mad.

It was just staff from Nottingham call centre Inkfish on Talbot Street, who were wagging their tails in pubs all around the city centre to raise money for charity.

Dressed in crazy animal costumes, 20 Inkfish employees took part in a fun day (on September 13) to collect money for the RSPCA Animal Shelter at Radcliffe-on-Trent. The event marked the fifth birthday of Pet Pals, a pet insurance scheme whose calls are handled by the Nottingham call centre.

The bright sparks behind the stunt were Sharon Brosnan and Bridget Harrison, two animal lovers who work for Inkfish. Both have pets, but not exactly the norm. “We each own a snake,” says Sharon, whose pride and joy is her one-year-old South American corn snake, Whispa. “He’s red and tan and is very gentle. He doesn’t bite,” she adds reassuringly.

Sharon Brosnan and Bridget Harrison with their pet snakes Whispa and Popcorn, two members of the Inkfish staff who dressed up in crazy animal costumes to celebrate the fifth birthday of Pet Pals and raise money for the RSPCA.

Bridget has a similar snake called Popcorn. “It was Bridget’s snake that made me want to have one as well,” says Sharon, from Stapleford, an HR recruiter for Inkfish. “Our snakes are constrictors and live in little tanks. Until I met Popcorn I was terrified of snakes, but once I held him I was hooked!”

Sharon also has a two-year-old black cat, Tao, and Bridget, a customer service advisor at Inkfish, has a black cat called Snowy and a ginger tom called Mango.

Both Sharon and Bridget are members of the company’s First Choice Employer Scheme. They and their colleagues gave up their own time to join in the charity stunt, wearing costumes supplied by Poseurs Fancy Dress in Canning Circus, Nottingham.

One of the fastest growing call centres in the UK, Inkfish in Talbot Street, Nottingham, employs 700 people. It is part of the Domestic & General Group, a leading UK provider of breakdown cover and services for consumer electronic equipment and domestic appliances. It is also a major call centre for Pet Pals health insurance for cats and dogs.

Staff at Inkfish in Nottingham dressed up in crazy animal costumes to celebrate the fifth birthday of Pet Pals and raise funds for the RSPCA. From left are Malcolm Sprake, Sharon Brosnan with her pet snake Whispa, John Whittaker, Bridget Harrison with her pet snake Popcorn and Darren Adams-Shaw.