We love taking our donkeys to residential and care homes, where they bring joy to both residents and staff.

Spending time with a donkey is calming and uplifting. Stroking their coats and connecting with our gentle animals offers comfort, companionship and moments of happiness. For people who may not be able to travel far, it’s a rare and memorable experience that can brighten their whole day.

Our donkeys also have a wonderful way of unlocking memories. They often spark stories from the past - giving people the chance to reminisce and share treasured moments with others.

An activities coordinator from a local residential home commented:

" Vera loved the donkeys, they brought back memories of growing up on a farm in a country side area and having livestock, including horses and donkeys around. She loved how she would get to know the animals and had very fond memories. She has never told us this story before so the visit definitely sparked her memories and helped her remember."

Residential home visit information:

• Visits must be booked in advance.
• Visits take place Monday to Thursday at 11:00am or 2:00pm. We can be flexible about timings if needed.
• Each visit will last 30 minutes.
• You must be able to provide parking on site for a 3.5-ton horsebox with enough space to load and unload two donkeys easily. The outside should have a grassed area.
• We only provide inside visits if there is enough space for a donkey and the donkey is willing to go inside. 
• We ask for a contribution of at least £80.00 towards the cost of the visit to be paid in advance.
• A pre-assessment visit must be made by a member of the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary team in advance.

Please use the form below if you'd like more information.

We are proud to welcome many different community organisations to the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary. We tailor each visit, ensuring we meet the specific needs of the groups. 

Some recent visits have included: 

• A local Woman’s Institute 
• A scout troop on holiday on the Island 
• Dementia Adventure 
• Mountbatten 
• Home School students 

Please use the form below if you'd like more information.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery we have a dedicated Community Engagement Officer at the sanctuary. This allows us to support Isle of Wight individuals, groups and organisations, enabling them to access both the physical and mental therapeutic benefits of engaging and interacting with equines.

We’re delighted to offer free educational visits for local young people aged 17 and under. These visits are open to all Isle of Wight primary and secondary schools, nurseries and home education groups. 

Thanks to funding from DEFRA, our free visits provide a unique opportunity to experience life on the farm and at the sanctuary. During your visit, your group will enjoy: 

• A hands-on learning experience linked to curriculum subjects 
• Insights into what we grow on our farm and how it supports our donkeys 
• The chance to find out more about feeding - mixing special donkey feed and exploring farming connections 
• A guided tour and the opportunity to meet a donkey 
• Time in our Wildlife Meadow, spotting and learning about bugs, plants and the natural environment (age dependent) 

Each visit lasts about 2 hours including a break and a visit to our shop. Visits are led by an experienced, CEVAS trained member of the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary team.