Wildheart Animal Sanctuary has celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special event in Sandown, raising almost £27,000 to support the charity’s rescued animals.
Hundreds of visitors attended the anniversary celebration at the Sanctuary on 19th September, marking 5 decades of caring for animals on the Isle of Wight.
The evening featured live music, performances, roaming entertainment, family activities, food and drink, as well as after-hours opportunities to see some of the Sanctuary’s rescued residents.
Entertainment included performances from Ruby, the Melodic Choir and Totland Sky, alongside colourful roaming performers from The New Carnival Company.
Younger visitors were also entertained by The Lovely Bubbly Show, with bubbles and interactive activities taking place throughout the evening.
Animal talks, feeding sessions and opportunities to explore the Sanctuary were also included as part of the celebration.
The event had been due to finish with a drone display by LumaNation, but high winds forced organisers to cancel the finale on safety grounds.
The display was instead rescheduled for the following weekend, 26th September, when hundreds of people returned to watch Wildheart-themed images and messages light up the sky above the Sanctuary.
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is a charity dedicated to rescuing animals from suffering and providing them with lifelong sanctuary. It has been caring for animals on the Isle of Wight for 50 years and is currently home to a range of rescued animals, including big cats, bears, primates and other species.
The charity has paid tribute to the organisations, entertainers, traders, volunteers and visitors who helped make the anniversary event possible.
Churchers Solicitors was the headline sponsor, with support also provided by Wightlink, Stagegear, LumaNation, The New Carnival Company, Ruby, John Taylor – Totland Sky, The Lovely Bubbly Show, Melodic Choir, event traders, Wildheart volunteers and Rotary Isle of Wight.
Lawrence Bates, CEO of Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, has said:
“Our 50th anniversary was about celebrating five decades of change, but most importantly it was about celebrating the people who have supported us and the animals at the heart of everything we do.
“To have raised almost £27,000 is an incredible achievement and will make a genuine difference to the animals in our care. We were overwhelmed by the feedback from visitors, and we’re delighted to be able to announce that we’ll be doing it all again next year.
“A huge thank you to everyone who came along, our sponsors, entertainers, traders, volunteers and everyone who helped make the event such a memorable celebration. This really was a community effort.”
Following the response to this year’s event, Wildheart has confirmed the celebration will return in 2027.
Visitors can pre-register their interest via the Sanctuary’s website to be among the first to hear when further details are announced.
The full drone show can be viewed on their website here.
