FAMILIES of chronically ill and disabled children were invited to a 'very special' evening at Cotswold Wildlife Park.
A total of families attended the park after hours on as part of 'Dreamnight At The Zoo' which is a global event with over 200 zoos from 11 different countries to "make dreams come true for some truly deserving guests".
The families came from a number of child-orientated respite and nursing charities like Helen and Douglas House, Rainbow Trust, ROSY, CALM, James Hopkins Trust and WellChild.
The group were given the rare opportunity to see the animals at night when the Park is normally closed to visitors and keepers and staff volunteered to make the evening one to remember with some unforgettable animal encounters with the Lemurs, Giraffes and Penguins.
Their night of activities continued with train rides on the Park’s narrow-gauge railway, refreshments, face painting, herb planting with the Park’s gardeners, games, juggling and the chance to meet beautiful birds of prey from Cotswold Falconry Centre.
Catherine Davies, family engagement manager at WellChild, said: “We would like to thank Cotswold Wildlife Park for all their time, hard work and generosity. Everyone is smiling, laughing and making memories that will last a lifetime.
"This is particularly important to the children and families WellChild supports because the past couple of years have been extremely difficult for families whose children are seriously ill or have complex needs."
Helen Hitchman, event organiser and education and activities manager at Cotswold Wildlife Park, added: “Our first 'Dreamnight at the Zoo' since 2019 was a huge success.
"Hosting this special evening for such incredible children and their families is a highlight of the year. Cotswold Wildlife Park staff and other volunteers give up their time generously to make sure everyone has a wonderful time.
"Cotswold Wildlife Park would like to thank the generosity of Lynn Spears and Fey Faces, Mark Dalton and Cotswold Falconry Centre, Keycraft Global and the park’s staff and volunteers who all made the event possible."
'Dreamnight At The Zoo' was the brainchild of zoo keeper Peter van der Wulp. Back in 1996, Peter went to the director of Rotterdam Zoo with a special request. His dream was to organise a free evening out exclusively for children with cancer.
It has since become an annual worldwide event which Cotswold Wildlife Park says it is thrilled to be part of.
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