AIBU to be miffed about Chester Zoo?

[Stillinshock123]

I need a space to rant but then I welcome feedback and general common-sense.

Chester zoo have posted about £1 deal for those on benefits such as UC, DLA and PIP.

Now, I understand that for some this may be the only opportunity to attend the Zoo given their already ridiculously high prices.

However AIBU to be upset that yet again working families (full time not claiming parts of UC) don’t seem to benefit from much?

We attend the zoo only once a year because of how expensive it is.. so that’s a luxury. So no thanks, no support or discounts.

I emailed them about this, and they replied saying that it’s part of a charity scheme to give back to families who otherwise can’t afford it. But then.. why shouldn’t it be first come first serve?

Are you equally as vocal about the disadvantages that children with disabilities face? My little one loves trains but if he wants to ride on the trains at our local steam railway he can't do it with his friend who is also a wheelchair user as there's only space for one wheelchair on the trains. He can't use any of the equipment in any of our local parks because there's nothing for him, we have to travel 20 miles for that. He can't go to places like the local trampoline park because they have no facilities for him. There are so many places he, and his friends, are at a distinct disadvantage, even the zoo isn't great because lots of the barriers that your children can see over, little people in wheelchairs can't.

You are about ten years out of date. UC isn't like tax credits.

I have to say many of the responses are on fire tonight. MN at its best.

Team £1 trip for those who get "benefits"!

can Up to 6 people all go for £1 each even if only one of those people claim DLA?
it seems a very good offer.

Fucking hell, imagine being so bitter you resent the fact that a 4 year old might be able to see a tiger for the first time for less money than you pay. If you think that these parents are so irresponsible having kids they cant afford and are in it for the money, then surely you also think they are parents who wouldn't have their child's best interests at heart so might not otherwise bother taking them to enriching days out like this. This being cheap might be the only time a little girl gets to see a meerkat pop up, the first time two siblings get to see two monkey brothers play with each other, the time an 8 year old is entranced by the bat enclosure. They arent getting flown 5* to Disney, they are getting a cheaper deal to go learn about the natural world AND animal conservation. Its a bloody wonderful thing. They arent even getting something you arent, because you can bloody afford it! Bitterness will rot you from the inside.

Its a thing in scotland, never knew!!! Thanks

I guess they have to draw the line somewhere though, pensioners for example might feel they should get a discount.

I remember Lotto did a thing where if you bought a ticket you could go on free days out, booked through a national site (can't remember the name). Many zoos etc were on that.

I know which days to avoid 😂

With all due respect you CAN afford it, I remember when I used to teach I taught many children who had never even been to the bloody cinema (and they were year 4!) never mind the zoo!

What’s that supposed to mean?

I'm glad this shitty thread turned into tips for people.

I live close by and never go because of how expensive it is. In half term though they offered £10 off adult tickets and £10 tickets for children and teens, for everyone, so we went then.

They still need to pay the bills for the animals, security, insurance, maintenance, catering, facilities, staff, outreach programmes, repairs and upgrades. A charitable grant specifically for people who fit within a specific range of circumstances that are characterised by limited opportunities to visit such places is not one that can be repurposed into making middle class families feel happier about how much they are wanted at a place they already go to.

We take kids to a zoo as part of the curriculum once a year. The vast majority of children with pupil premium funding have never been further than home, school or a local supermarket, possibly a library if they haven't been closed down. Many have never been on any public transport other than a bus (and not because their parents have big cars, whether through using a higher rate mobility component to part fund a vehicle or not, but because the family does not have the money to be able to travel or go on trips). Same way that outward bound/activity centre trips mean that children who have never seen the countryside, farm animals, the sea, gone on a boat and seen native grey seals or what a mountain really looks like have the chance to do so, and trips to museums, art galleries or concerts can give an experience that they would never have had otherwise.

Fantastic advertisement, OP! I knew nothing about this. If I lived closer I might have taken advantage of this lovely opportunity. I hope some families go and have a lovely affordable day out now because they’ve seen this. A day out they wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise.

I don’t know why you would ever feel miffed about children going to see lots of different animals when usually they might not get to.

It's for two weeks...

Another thing- first come first served excludes those who need to wait till payday to purchase a cheaper ticket.

We pay for family membership of the zoo and it’s worth every penny to us as it’s close enough for us to visit for just an hour or two whenever we want. That way we can go and just see a few of the animals at a time rather than feel we’ve got to get value for the days entry fee by trying see every single one. Trust me a whole day at the zoo is absolutely knackering for everyone.
My advice to anyone going on the £1 entry is plan your day carefully with a list of the animals you’d ideally see. and wear sensible shoes. If you’re not careful you can end up walking miles and seeing not much at all. Animal feeding times can be chaotic and believe me you’ll see plenty of inconsiderate adults who give no thought to the little ones they barge in front of meaning they end up seeing nothing at all.

Although I dislike zoos, I think it’s a wonderful idea. Why deny children who live in families with low incomes the same experiences afforded to children who have parents who are from affluent homes?

Another “I want what those poor people have.” post. 🙄

It’s awesome this is available and so pleased people are learning about it through this post.

I can see if you really struggle while being on slightly more money than the UC cutoff it must feel hard you just miss the option to do this. I can also see that for organisations making this kind of offer it’s tricky to do it in any other way.

Ultimately although it would arguably be better extended to a wider group it’s still fantastic the scheme exists.

Not as good as the £1 offer but Edinburgh Zoo charges £7 a ticket (instead of something like £25!) for those on Universal Credit. That’s on all year.

I feel the same way. I work, dh works we are on our knees. We are struggling to afford our rent and bills. We probably would qualify for uc but due to reasons outside my control we dont dare claim. All the children in our family have been to the zoo apart from our children because we cant afford to take them.

I’m shocked you want to rant about people on low incomes getting a limited opportunity to take their kids to the zoo. Really? A rant? Zoos are expensive but some kids never get the chance to go. Education for all children should be a priority for every one of us. They are our future after all.

It's a lovely idea. All children should go on trips. It widens their horizons, develops their vocabulary, pushes their thinking forward.

Puzzled about not “daring” to claim. Surely there’s something you can do about that?