Conservation Careers: Unveiling the Heart of Conservation - Subhani Rana, Supporter Care Senior Specialist.

This month we’re taking a step into the world of Supporter Engagement with Subhani Rana, one of our amazing Supporter Care Specialists. Working as a panda for two years, Subhani works at the heart of the organisation engaging with our fantastic supporters to help everyone do their bit to bring our world back to life. Being born in the year of the tiger, her favourite adoptions species is... of course, a tiger! Read on to discover what’s involved at the heart of Supporter Engagement at WWF UK.?

What does a typical day doing your job look like?

As a supporter care specialist, no two days are the same. From speaking to supporters all over the country and sometimes all over the world, to reading wonderful and enthusiastic emails from nature lovers, every moment at WWF is an adventure of conservation. Much of my role involves working with wider teams across the organisation to make sure we can give our supporters the right information whilst making sure their voices are shared. We use meetings with other teams to make sure information is up to date, e.g. our FAQs page on our website. It’s also where we learn about new projects and systems to make sure we can answer the wide variety of questions we get asked, from unrestricted Gift Aid to our Go Wild membership!?

Some of the everyday enquiries we receive involve updating our supporters' personal details and in doing so, we can make sure that they'll receive our amazing loyalty updates about their chosen species or learn about our current work and conservation efforts. We also receive many messages from schools and young supporters getting in touch with their fundraising plans - it’s amazing to see all the talented young supporters who are so engaged and want to make our world a better place. I love reading the stories about our supporters’ journey, why they want to work with wildlife and conservation and how they’re achieving those goals. We always like to share the supporters' stories with colleagues or add them to our supporter care board in our office, the Living Planet Centre, for everyone to enjoy having a read. I really enjoy helping our supporters to make sure that everything that they ask for is completed and it gives me a sense of accomplishment to know that it has made their day. Recently, one of our supporters was hoping to purchase a plush Fennec Fox Toy for their son’s birthday and although we were out of stock, it was just a simple ask to the retail team who were able to locate one and we were able to fulfill someone’s birthday wish.?

Last year, I also had the opportunity to collaborate with various colleagues on an innovation sprint to help kick start a long-term project and to solve big problems. The question was ‘How might we embed WWF in gen z’s key life moments?’ and it was wonderful to be a part of, from understanding the process of a sprint to creating ideas and talking to new colleagues. ?

Tell us about something you're currently working on.

The nature of our role can be ever-changing, offering support in various campaigns and initiatives across the organisation. Recently, I had the privilege of embarking on a visit to our fulfilment centre, Codestorm, in Dudley. Codestorm dispatch our adoption and membership welcome packs and some of our retail items for the online shop - fulfilling hundreds of orders every day. During the day, I took part in a comprehensive stock take and was able to meet with the amazing team on-site. This hands-on experience not only deepened my understanding of the operations behind our iconic adoptions and memberships but also provided invaluable insights into the needs and perspectives of our supporters. ?

Watching the team fulfil adoption welcome pack orders within seconds and seeing the process of handling a shop order from start to finish was amazing to see in real time. With all the systems in place, everything gets scanned and packed which leaves little room for error which was helpful to see. By participating in this visit, I was able to gain first-hand knowledge to inform our efforts to enhance supporter engagement and satisfaction!?

How did you get into your role within the conservation sector?

I studied Marketing at the University of Bournemouth where I had graduated in 2021. My undergraduate dissertation focused on the fashion industry and was an eye-opening journey that fundamentally altered my perceptions of environmental impact and consumer responsibility. This sparked a profound sense of urgency to enact meaningful change and I began to explore avenues for advocating for sustainable alternatives and supporting ethical brands. ?

This sparked a deep-seated passion to effect positive change on a larger scale, leading me to redirect my focus towards conservation efforts. Inspired by the potential to leverage my expertise and drive meaningful impact, I embraced a career dedicated to safeguarding our natural world.?

After graduating, I knew that I wanted to work where sustainability was important and a big factor for the brand. I applied to different recruitment agencies and I was in contact with an agency in Woking that had openings for WWF at entry level straight after I had graduated. My journey started off as a temporary role but through working hard and aligning myself with the values of WWF, I’ve since been at WWF on a permanent basis and have also had the opportunity to rise to a more senior specialist role.?

If you could give one piece of advice to someone looking to apply for a similar role, what would you say???

It might sound cliché but don’t give up, continue looking for any and every type of opportunity that comes along your way. Networking along the way and being surrounded by likeminded people can also help you keep pushing for more.??

Even if it’s for a role that you may not have heard of or not something that you’ve looked into previously, those small openings can open up a big door for you. Continue to showcase your genuine passion for nature and wildlife through examples and stories and experiences. A lot of my experiences with animals have been through joining workshops or volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, this experience was amazing as you could tell that the elephants were well looked after and looked like they were enjoying their time. We were lucky to meet an elephant mum who had been pregnant for just over a year and we got to learn more about Asian elephants, understanding their behaviour and preparing some food for her.?

These experiences helped further increase my knowledge on why we need to protect these amazing animals and have opened up my horizons on my career journey.?

Finally, what gives you hope in our mission to bring our world back to life???

What gives me hope in our mission to bring our world back to life is the collective power of compassion and collaboration, despite the myriad of challenges we face. I see inspiring examples of individuals, communities, and organisations coming together to drive positive change and protect our planet's precious ecosystems. There is a growing momentum toward sustainability and stewardship of the Earth.?

Furthermore, the increasing awareness and engagement surrounding environmental issues, particularly among younger generations, signals a shift in attitudes and priorities toward a more sustainable future. Education, activism, and advocacy play crucial roles in mobilising support and driving systemic change.?