Woburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park has long been one of the UK’s best-loved days out, and in March 2026 it set out to make that experience truly open to everyone. SENse the Safari is a purpose-built education space for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, the first of its kind in any UK zoological park. Our challenge was to launch something that’s never existed before, and make sure it reaches the families and educators who need it most.
Change Needed
SEND provision within zoos and safari parks has been a national gap for years, leaving many children and young people without access to the hands-on learning that a day at a safari park can, and should, offer. Woburn needed a launch that would fill that gap in people’s minds as well as on the map, positioning the park as a sector leader in inclusive education.
The challenge was the breadth of the audience. The story had to land with SENDCos, EHCP coordinators, SEND and mainstream schools, home educators and parents, as well as local authorities including Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Council, whose support through the Holiday Activities and Food Programme would extend the facility’s reach. Beyond them sat charities and advocacy groups, healthcare providers and therapists, funders, and civic stakeholders, each needing a reason to take notice.
Our Solution
We put the launch at the heart of the story. Rather than simply announcing a new building, we framed SENse the Safari as a moment of change for the sector: the first purpose-built SEND classroom in any UK zoological setting, and a challenge to other attractions to follow Woburn’s lead.
The press release brought the facility to life through the people who shaped it and the people it was built for. Natasha Kyle, Woburn’s Head of Education and Customer Liaison, explained why it mattered; Architect Neil Reynolds, himself a parent of children with SEND, described the thinking behind the design; and the Duke of Bedford added the voice of the estate. Together, they gave journalists a story grounded in real experience rather than a list of features.
The Results
The launch of SENse the Safari secured national coverage on the BBC, alongside features in education titles including School Travel Organiser and Independent School Parent. Locally, the story was picked up across the region, including MKFM, Bedford Today and the Milton Keynes Citizen, putting the facility in front of the schools, families and local authorities it was built to serve.
"Our SEND classroom is something we’re incredibly proud of, and we knew from the start that the launch had to do it justice. As the first facility of its kind in the UK, it was a story that needed telling carefully and to the right people. Orchid understood that immediately. They shaped the story for every audience, from national media to the education press and our local community and secured an array of positive coverage. Most importantly, the coverage has put SENse the Safari in front of the families, schools, and local authorities it was built for."
