Giraffes being fed by invited guests for Dreamnight 2026. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
Feeding and getting eye to eye with the Giraffes. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
On Friday 5 June 2026, Cotswold Wildlife Park quietly opened its doors for a very special evening. This is the eleventh year the Park has hosted “Dreamnight At The Zoo”– an invitation-only event for chronically ill and disabled children and their families to exclusively enjoy the wildlife park after hours. Over the last decade, more than 2,500 children from local charities have been invited to this annual event that makes dreams come true for some truly deserving guests.
Penguins with a family invited from James Hopkins Trust. Photo from the family with permission to use.
“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 at the zoo exclusively for children with cancer. Peter wanted it to be a joyous night for the whole family to enjoy and relax, without the worry of being treated differently. What began as a single event has since grown into an annual international initiative of which Cotswold Wildlife Park is proud to be part of. Today, more than two hundred zoos and aquariums from eleven different countries participate.
In with the Lemurs, Primate Keeper Ethan giving a special Lemur talk for Dreamnight 2026. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
Watching the penguins at Dreamnight 2026. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
This year, eighty families were invited from Oxfordshire charity Helen & Douglas House (providing hospice care for terminally ill children and young adults), Rainbow Trust (supporting families with a seriously ill child), ROSY (Respite Nursing for Oxfordshire’s Sick Youngsters), CALM (Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement), James Hopkins Trust (providing nursing respite care for Gloucestershire’s life limited and life threatened young children) and WellChild (giving seriously ill children the best chance to thrive). As well as the rare opportunity to see the animals at night when the Park is normally closed to visitors, keepers and staff volunteered to make the evening one to remember with some unforgettable animal encounters with the Lemurs, Giraffes, Penguins and for the first time, the Park’s Giant Tortoises. Their night of activities continued with train rides on the Park’s narrow-gauge railway, refreshments, herb planting with the Park’s gardeners, games on the Manor lawn, animal crafts, music courtesy of Highworth Silver Band and the chance to meet the amazing birds of prey from Cotswold Falconry Centre, who also brought along some of their new chicks for the children to see.
The Highworth Silver Band providing the music near the Reptile House. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
The Park’s train, Bella at Dreamnight 2026. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
Oxfordshire-based charity Helen & Douglas House, the world’s first children’s hospice, were at the Park for the inaugural “Dreamnight at the Zoo” and were delighted to attend this year’s event. Kat Williams, Head of Care at Helen & Douglas House said: “Our families were absolutely thrilled to be invited to the special “Dreamnight at the Zoo” event. We support local terminally ill children and their families, and seeing their faces light up from the moment they arrived made the evening truly unforgettable. At Helen & Douglas House, we strive not only to provide outstanding medical care but also to help facilitate precious memories, and this experience gave families the opportunity to do just that. We are incredibly grateful to everyone at Cotswold Wildlife Park for their continued support and generosity in creating such a special experience for our families”.
Layla, Louie and mum Megan at Dreamnight 2026 (Photo courtesy of the family)
Layla, who visits Helen & Douglas House for supportive stays, was invited to the event – along with her mum Megan and younger brother Louie (pictured above, photo courtesy of the family). Megan said: “It was such a lovely evening and amazing to spend some quality time together as a family in an environment that’s not too loud or busy. The activities they had on made it extra special and we were able to see the animals closer than you would usually be able to, we particularly enjoyed feeding the Giraffes. Thank you to Helen & Douglas House for inviting us to such an extraordinary event!” Louie adds: “I’ve never been so close to a Giraffe before and the Penguins were fun to watch being fed as they’re my favourite animal”.
Lorah Wardle, event organiser and Education and Activities Officer at Cotswold Wildlife Park, said: “This June marked our 11th year of hosting “Dreamnight at the Zoo”. We have now welcomed 1,000 guests to the event since it began back in 2015 and it has been a privilege to be involved in the planning and organisation of such a special evening. Every year, staff and volunteers from across the Park come together to create a truly magical experience for children and their families. Seeing families relax and enjoy themselves is incredibly rewarding and being able to provide an experience they will hopefully cherish forever is unparalleled”.
The Giant Tortoise feeding. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow
Committed to accessibility: In 2017, Cotswold Wildlife Park became the first major attraction in Oxfordshire to install a Changing Places toilet and hoist room. In the last seven years, with an investment of over £600,000 it has continued to improve accessibility with the installation of resin pathways throughout the Park. There is easy wheelchair access to all enclosures, the Gift Shop, Oak Tree Restaurant and on to the narrow-gauge railway. The Park has ensured all enclosures with windows are viewable from a wheelchair or mobility scooter and there are ramps to access the Giraffe House, Wolverine enclosure and Waterfowl lake area.
Additional information:
- ROSY provides respite nursing for Oxfordshire’s sick youngsters. Visit www.oxfordhealth.charity/appeal/respite-for-oxfordshires-sick-youngsters-rosy for more information.
- Rainbow Trust supports families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness. Read more about the charity at www.rainbowtrust.org.uk.
- Helen & Douglas House provides round-the-clock care for terminally ill children and their families in a warm, loving environment so they can create happy memories in their last days, weeks, months or years together. Their website is www.helenanddouglas.org.uk.
- WellChild is a charity helping seriously ill children and their families across the UK. Through their work, they make it possible for children and young people with exceptional health needs to be cared for at home instead of hospital, wherever possible. Their website is www.wellchild.org.uk.
- James Hopkins Trust provides care for babies and children up to the age of five who have a life limiting or life threatening condition while supporting their families. Find out more about their work at www.jameshopkinstrust.org.uk.
- CALM is a Swindon-based charity run by parents who have all experienced what it is like to have a child diagnosed with cancer. Visit www.calmcharity.org to find out more.
Two new birds of prey chicks from Cotswold Falconry Centre. Photo credit: Rebecca Farrow