50 Years of Wildheart: A Celebration to Remember

What a way to celebrate 50 years of Wildheart! 🦁💚

On Saturday 19 September, we opened our doors into the evening for a very special celebration marking five decades of caring for animals here at the Sanctuary – and what an evening it was!

For 50 years, this special corner of Sandown has been home to an incredible story of change. What began as Sandown Zoo has evolved over the decades into the charity and animal sanctuary we are today.

Five decades later, we are Wildheart Animal Sanctuary – a place dedicated to rescuing animals from suffering and giving them the safe, loving and lifelong homes they deserve.

And our 50th anniversary was a chance to celebrate that journey with the people who have helped make it possible.

Special thanks to Churchers Solicitors, our headline sponsor.

A very Wildheart evening

From 5pm, the Sanctuary came alive as visitors explored the grounds, met our rescued animals and enjoyed an evening packed with entertainment.

There was something happening around every corner, from animal talks and feeding sessions to live music and performances.

Ruby provided beautiful acoustic music, while the Melodic Choir brought their wonderful voices to the celebrations. The New Carnival Company added colour and energy to the evening, while The Lovely Bubbly Show brought plenty of bubbles, fun and smiles for our younger visitors.

There was also plenty to eat and drink, with our barbecue and traders helping everyone settle in for the evening.

It was wonderful to see families, friends, supporters and Sanctuary regulars enjoying the celebrations together.

But while the entertainment was a huge part of the evening, there was something even more important at the heart of it all.

The animals.

Every animal living here has their own story. Many have come from difficult circumstances, and their journeys to Wildheart have only been possible because of the incredible support we receive from our visitors, members, donors, volunteers and wider community.

Our 50th anniversary was ultimately a celebration of that shared story.

50 years of change

Over the past five decades, this site has undergone an incredible transformation.

What began as Sandown Zoo in 1976 has evolved through many chapters, eventually becoming the Isle of Wight Zoo before becoming a charity in 2017 and then Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in 2021.

That change represented something much bigger than a new name.

Our focus shifted firmly towards rescue and rehabilitation, with our mission centred on giving animals who have suffered at the hands of humans a safe place to call home.

From lions and tigers to bears, primates and many other rescued animals, the Sanctuary has become a place where animals can live out their lives with dignity, while their stories help inspire people to think differently about the natural world.

And that is what makes reaching 50 years such a significant milestone.

It’s not simply about looking back.

It’s about looking forward.

A night to remember… and a little weather drama!

There had been one very special moment planned to bring our anniversary celebration to a spectacular close – a Wildheart-themed drone show from LumaNation.

But, as anyone who knows the Isle of Wight will appreciate, we don’t always get to choose what the weather has in store!

With high winds forecast for the evening, the difficult decision was made to cancel the drone show. Drone displays simply cannot safely take place in conditions with winds above their operating limits, and the safety of everyone involved had to come first.

We know how much people were looking forward to seeing the show, so we were incredibly grateful for everyone’s understanding.

But we weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to our 50th anniversary just yet…

The drones finally take to the skies! ✨

One week later, on Saturday 26 September, the skies finally gave us the conditions we’d been waiting for.

The drone show was rescheduled – and this time, the weather played ball. All of our guests were invited back for free to enable everyone to see the show.

As darkness fell over Sandown Bay, the lights appeared above the Sanctuary as LumaNation’s spectacular drone display finally took to the sky.

It was the perfect way to bring our anniversary celebrations to a close, and a moment that captured what our 50th year has been about: celebrating where we’ve come from while looking ahead to everything still to come.

After 50 years of compassion, conservation and connection, there is certainly plenty to look forward to.

To watch the full drone show click below.

Nearly £27,000 raised for the animals 💚

Perhaps the most important part of the celebrations is what the event will help us achieve.

The 50th anniversary event has now raised nearly £27,000, which will go towards supporting our ongoing work at the Sanctuary.

Running a sanctuary like Wildheart costs nearly £2 million every year. From specialist veterinary care and food to maintaining habitats and providing enrichment, our animals rely on the generosity of our supporters every single day.

Every pound raised through events like this helps us continue providing rescued animals with the care, space and security they deserve.

A huge thank you 🐾

An event of this scale simply wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of so many people and organisations.

Our headline sponsor, Churchers Solicitors, played a hugely important role in helping us bring our 50th anniversary celebration to life. We are incredibly grateful for their support.

A huge thank you also goes to Wightlink and Stagegear, who generously supported the event by providing equipment and services free of charge.

And, of course, our thanks go to all of the wonderful entertainers who helped make the evening so memorable:

• LumaNation, for bringing our spectacular drone show to the skies above the Sanctuary.
• The New Carnival Company, for bringing their colourful energy and entertainment to the event.
• Ruby, for providing beautiful live acoustic music.
• John Taylor – Totland Sky, for his musical contribution to the celebrations.
• The Lovely Bubbly Show, for bringing bubbles, fun and plenty of smiles.
• The Melodic Choir, for filling the Sanctuary with their wonderful voices.

We’d also like to say a huge thank you to all of our traders, who joined us for the evening and helped make the event such a great experience for our visitors. Many of whom graciously returned for the drone show evening too!

And finally, a very special thank you to our incredible volunteers, who gave up their time to help the events run smoothly. From helping behind the scenes to welcoming visitors, there were so many people working hard throughout the evening.

A particular thank you also goes to the Rotary IOW, who did a fantastic job marshalling the car park and helping everything run smoothly as thousands of people arrived and departed.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who came along.

Whether you’ve been visiting us for decades or this was your very first trip to Wildheart, you helped make our 50th anniversary something truly special.

We’re doing it all again! 🎉

The response to our 50th anniversary celebration has been so incredible, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the wonderful feedback we’ve received from everyone who joined us.

So, we’re delighted to announce that the celebration will be back next year!

We can’t wait to bring you another unforgettable evening at the Sanctuary, with more entertainment, more family fun and, hopefully, a little less drama from the weather!

Want to be the first to hear when tickets go on sale?

Here’s to the next 50 years 💚

Our 50th anniversary belongs to so many people.

To the staff and volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to caring for animals.

To the supporters who have donated, fundraised and helped us through challenging times.

To our members and visitors who continue to choose to spend their time with us.

To the organisations and businesses who have supported our work.

And to everyone who has memories of this place – whether from the days of Sandown Zoo, the Isle of Wight Zoo or our more recent Wildheart years.

Thank you.

Fifty years is an extraordinary milestone, but for us, it’s not the end of the story.

There are still animals to rescue. There are still lives to change. There is still work to do to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation to care about our natural world.

And, most importantly, there are still many more chapters of the Wildheart story to write.

Here’s to the next 50 years. 🐾💚