Our highly popular Summer Open Day will be returning this July at our beautiful 92-acre sanctuary on the border between Worcestershire and Shropshire.
We’ve got an incredible line-up of food vendors, educational talks, market stalls, children’s activities, workshops PLUS the opportunity to meet our friendly rescued animals!
In March, during our routine six-monthly TB testing, one of our cows, Rufus, unfortunately tested positive. As required by regulations, and with great sadness, Rufus had to be put to sleep. As a result, our site is now under certain restrictions, and we must carry out further tests before these can be lifted.
Given the scale of our Open Day event and the number of visitors exploring the site, we feel it would not be appropriate to proceed under the current restrictions.
We remain hopeful that our second Open Day on Saturday 6th September, will go ahead, so please do save the date, and we will provide an update again in a couple of months.
We have notified all ticket holders via a separate email, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Once again, we’re very sorry to have to cancel the July event, but we believe this is the most responsible decision at this time.
Saturday 19th July 2025, from 10am to 4pm.
Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary, The Nickless, Milson, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY14 0BE
Adults (Ages 16+): £5
Children (Ages 5-15yrs): £4
Under 5s: FREE
Free field parking on site and well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome.
Please note, as we are a small charity, we cannot issue refunds on tickets.
10:00 | Gates open
10:30 – 11:00 | Welcome talk from Goodheart Co-Founder
One of our sanctuary Founders will be kickstarting our Open Day with a warm welcome over in our main barn.
Throughout the day | Kids drop-in craft workshop
Bring your little ones for a fun session learning about animals and enjoying art and craft activities in our Outdoor Education Area. No need to book, just drop in and take part!
11:00 – 12:00 | Talk: ‘A Beginners Guide to Going Vegan’ with Erin Stow from Viva!
Erin, a dedicated campaigner at Viva!, will offer inclusive and practical advice for anyone embarking on their plant-based journey, with insightful tips and advice for all ages!
11:00 – 12:00 | Meet the pigs
A chance to meet our rescued chickens up close! Hand-feed them and see them enjoy their enrichment treats. No booking needed – first come, first served.
12:00 – 13:00 | Talk: ‘All about the Vegetarian Society’ with Deirdra from the Vegetarian Society
Deirdra will be talking about the history of the Vegetarian Society, their campaigning work and support of sanctuaries, and how they provide guidance to people wishing to transition to a more plant-based diet.
12:00 | Animal Enrichment Demo
Join one of our Animal Care Assistants to watch a demonstration and talk all about animal enrichment, up at our Pig Barn. This is not a workshop so no need to book!
13:00 – 14:00 | Meet the chickens
A chance to meet our rescued chickens up close! Hand-feed them and see them enjoy their enrichment treats. No booking needed – first come, first served.
13:00 – 14:00 | Talk: ‘Fish: The Forgotten Farm Animals’ with Jodi Darwood from The Humane League
The Humane League is a registered charity ending the abuse of animals raised for food by influencing the policies of the world’s biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates.
14:00 – 15:00 | Meet the pigs
We’ll be allowing small groups to go in with our pigs to give them a pampering session with our special massage brushes. No need to book. This is on a first come first served basis.
14:00 | Animal Enrichment Demo
Join one of our Animal Care Assistants to watch a demonstration and talk all about animal enrichment, up at our Pig Barn. This is not a workshop so no need to book!
14:00 – 15:00 | Talk: ‘Welfare Problems & Economics of Factory Farming’ with Compassion in World Farming Speaker, Eileen Greaves
Compassion in World Farming was founded over 50 years ago by a dairy farmer (Peter Roberts) who became horrified by the ongoing intensification of farming. Today, the organisation campaigns to end all factory farming practices.
15:00 | Raffle drawn
Please read through and ensure you understand all of the information below ahead of our Open Day. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at info@goodheart.org.uk
On arrival, you will simply be asked to provide the full name under which you booked online and we will be able to locate your booking. Ahead of the event, please check that you have received a confirmation email of your booking. Please check Junk/Spam as sometimes our emails can go there.
Current Hearts of Gold members are entitled to free entry to our Open Day. If you are a member, there is no need to book a ticket, just be ready to give your full name upon arrival.
Most apps and sat navs will bring you right to Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary using postcode DY14 0BE however we do advise that you plan your route in advance and take a look at our web page here all about how to find us. You can also look out for our two large banners which will be on either side of our sanctuary entrance. Unfortunately, we will not be reachable via phone to offer directions on the day.
The roads around our sanctuary are very narrow and winding so please take due care and attention when arriving or leaving.
On arrival, you will be shown where to park by one of our stewards. If you are a blue badge holder, our stewards will direct you to the parking area closer to our main yard.
Main yard
Our main yard is wheelchair accessible and will have lots going on, including food and drink vendors and all of the gift/craft stalls. There will also be a range of animals around the yard, including some of our sheep. The talks will also be taking place in this area.
Outdoor Education Area
The paths in our Outdoor Education Area are wide enough for a wheelchair and are made of a compacted stone (similar to forestry commission pathways), however, we have to leave it up to the wheelchair user to decide if the path is navigable.
Toilets
We have a disabled toilet on site.
On arrival
If you are a blue badge holder, you may drive straight up into our yard and park beneath the trees on the right-hand side. You can then head over to the Goodheart merchandise table in our main barn to pay for your entry (if not pre-booked) and collect your map and programme for the day.
Card machines will be on hand over the weekend, however, some stalls only accept cash, such as our Raffle and Animal Feed Table, so please bring cash with you if possible. Please note we do not have a cash machine/ATM on site.
The nearest cash points to us are as follows:
Dogs are permitted at our Open Day, provided they are friendly and kept on a lead at all times. Please do not let your dog approach any of our animals. Please note, we do not allow visitors to leave dogs unattended in cars while visiting our sanctuary.
As we are a very small charity, refunds are processed at our discretion.
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“Loved seeing all the animals in their natural setting. A really lovely atmosphere and not over crowded as ticket numbers kept to a reasonable level. Everyone -staff and visitors so friendly. Great value for money for tickets.”
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“Lovely vegan catering. Inspiring friendly staff. General lovely vibe. Kid friendly. Just all lovely.”
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“The location is stunning the upkeep of the grounds is fabulous, the staff are great refreshments were fantastic, overall fantastic dayout, Thanks Goodheart for all the effort and work put into the sanctuary”
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“Just the right amount of stalls and food for us to catch everything. Loved the stories about Rufus and seeing all the sheep and pigs too. Also loved the vegan food options.”
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