Essential Companions
At Woodside Animal Farm we are committed to providing an inclusive experience for all our visitors. We’re proud to start working with Nimbus Disability, using the Access Card Scheme to simplify access for visitors with additional needs.
From the 1st January 2026 we are making the following changes:
Essential Companion Tickets will be available only to visitors who hold an Access Card featuring the +1 or +2 symbol. Essential companion tickets will be free of charge.
Don’t have an Access Card? You can apply for a free Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass (DAP) here, to enable you to receive free Essential Companion ticket(s). In order for Nimbus Disability to allocate the symbols that represent the barriers you face you will need to provide the relevant documentation. The DAP lasts for 3 years, so once you’ve applied and it’s been approved, that’s it. You’ll also have the option to upgrade to a full Access Card (£15 for 3 years), which is recognised at thousands of venues across the UK and beyond.
Role of an Essential Companion:
By accepting an Essential Companion ticket, your companion agrees to provide the support you need during your visit, including in the event of an emergency evacuation. Essential Companions must be 16 years or over and the card or pass holder and their Essential Companion must enter together.
A free Essential Companion ticket is available for people where support is needed that is significant, substantial and in excess of what could be reasonably expected of family/friends already accompanying the guest. The support must be due to disability-related needs.
Our free Essential Companion ticket is available to any full paying visitor who holds an Access Card or Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass with a +1 symbol. 2 Essential Companions are permitted for card or pass holders with a +2 symbol.
Woodside Animal Farm partners with Nimbus Disability, operators of the Access Card scheme, to assess and manage applications for our Essential Companion tickets. Nimbus Disability is one of the country’s leading providers of disability-related advice and support to professional organisations and is recognised as a leading authority on accessible ticketing in the UK. They are an award-winning organisation run by disabled people who specialise in the legislation behind The Equality Act and other legislation like welfare benefits.
Nimbus guidance outlines that for children under the age of 16, the +1 or +2 symbol will only be considered where the needs of the child are outside of the range of what can be expected of parental responsibility – even if this means that your child needs more support or supervision than another child of similar age.
Please note that we do not make the decisions on who is entitled to an Essential Companion or who is awarded a +1 or +2 symbol. This decision is made by Nimbus Disability.
To apply for your free Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass, please click here to go through the simple application form and upload any validating evidence, along with some narrative about your access requirements.
An Access Card is a universal way of conveying your access requirements with thousands of organisations, venues, events and ticketing systems in the UK and beyond.
You can purchase an Access Card for £15 for 3 years.
A Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass is a free way of conveying your access requirements, just with Woodside Animal Farm. You still go through the same process, but receive a digital number and no card.
We’ve chosen to pass the registration scheme onto the same organisation that runs the ‘Access Card’. Nimbus Disability is a social enterprise and organisation run by and for disabled people, and is recognised as a leading authority on accessible ticketing in the UK.
When you register, Nimbus Disability will handle all your information securely and safely without us ever having cause to see the detail behind why you need accessible options.
Once you’ve registered, Nimbus Disability will then provide you with a unique registration number which you can then use to link your access needs to us.
Even if you can't use online forms and would be unable to because of the nature of your impairment, you do still need to register. Nimbus Disability can assist with telephone registration on 0330 808 5108.
Nimbus has a detailed FAQ page, which can be found here.
We really want to ensure your visit is as accessible as possible, and understand what our disabled customers’ requirements are. We recognise that our staff are not experts in the Equality Act and this is a way to ensure we can meet all our guests’ requirements across our site, in a consistent way. By working with Nimbus we can use their recognised and award-winning scheme to enable us to provide a great and accessible experience.
The system offers greater privacy, as disabled people with access requirements will no longer need to carry supporting documents or explain circumstances to staff. You’ll only need to supply the information once when you register for an Access Card.
Our commitment to accessibility remains unchanged. Our friendly team and staff are still here to support you if you have any questions or need assistance. For further support, please email enquiries@woodsidefarm.co.uk.
Essential Companion tickets cannot be booked online. Book your tickets online for everyone except your Essential Companion and then present your Access Card or Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass details at our entrance to receive free Essential Companion admission if you have been awarded the +1 or +2 symbol.
If your Access Card or Woodside Animal Farm Digital Access Pass does not have a +1 or +2 symbol then you will be required to pay full price admission at the gate.
Please note, we do not make the decisions on who is entitled to an Essential Companion. This decision is made by Nimbus Disability.
No. Access Cards and Digital Passes must be applied for in advance. Nimbus Disability have their own policies on delivery times. Use this link to head to the FAQ section on their website for more information.
To entitle you to a free Essential Companion you must bring your card/pass with a valid +1 or +2 symbol every time you visit. Without your valid Access Card or Digital Pass you will be required to buy a full priced ticket for each visitor. No exceptions will be made.
Access cards may have many different symbols but Essential Companions are only free when your Access card or Digital Access Pass has a +1 or +2 symbol.
Nimbus Disability use their expertise and guidelines to determine who is eligible for the right to a free or reduced-price ticket for their essential companion to support them to access a venue’s facilities. They decide who does and does not receive a +1 or +2 symbol. For their detailed explanation please access their web page 'Access - Essential Companion tickets and our allocation of the +1 symbol' here.
An Essential Companion must be aged 16 or over.
Disabled members can use their Access Card or DAP in the same way as everyone else. Just take out a membership and show us your Access Card with a +1 or +2 symbol each time you visit to get free entry for your Essential Companion(s). If you prefer we can hold a copy of your Access Card/DAP on your membership records instead.
For full details visit our Annual Membership page: https://www.woodsidefarm.co.uk/annual-memberships/
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For further information or general enquiries please contact us at enquiries@woodsidefarm.co.uk
