Chester Zoo has announced a ticket giveaway for schoolchildren and students across the UK, handing out nearly 33,000 zoo tickets for free. 

The initiative is open to nurseries, schools and colleges and aims to provide young people with the skills and knowledge to help create a more sustainable future for people and wildlife. 

Those who secure tickets will have the opportunity to visit the wildlife conservation charity between November 2025 and February 2026.

Now in its eighth year, the scheme has already seen more than 175,000 children and young people benefit from a free visit the zoo as part of educational trip, with many of them visiting for the very first time. 

Zoo educators say they are particularly keen to ensure that schools who face financial barriers to visiting the zoo benefit from the initiative – helping to spark a lifelong passion for saving species.

Charlotte Smith, Director of Conservation Education at Chester Zoo, said:

“We’re offering thousands of children the opportunity to experience the wonders of the natural world firsthand at the zoo. Young people are more concerned than ever about nature decline and climate change, and by working closely with schools across the UK, we can provide them with the skills, knowledge and inspiration to make a real positive difference. 

“Every child has the potential to be a future conservationist. Through this scheme, we will have soon welcomed 200,000 children and young people for a free visit to the zoo. By doing this, we hope to inspire the conservationists of the future and spark a lifelong passion for helping wildlife to thrive.”

Applications are open to any school in the UK that hasn’t already benefitted from the scheme within the last four academic years. Home educators are eligible to apply as a group through a Home Educators’ Network. Places are limited each day to ensure every child and visitor can enjoy their zoo visit with priority given to schools who have not benefitted from the scheme before.

To apply, simply just fill out and submit an application form on the zoo’s website here by Friday 28 February 2025.

Education leaders at the zoo have called upon the government to draw on the power of young people to secure a greener, more sustainable future for the planet – pushing for educational reform in the UK that would see conservation action embedded into the national curriculum. Through a programme of outreach projects in schools in more deprived areas across the region, the zoo also supports an additional 10,000 young people each year to learn more about the natural world and the actions they can take to protect it.

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