Patron Terms & Conditions

Please read these terms carefully before joining the Chester Zoo patron scheme to find out how we will provide your patronage benefits to you, the specific terms of our patron scheme, how to contact us about your patronage and other important information. These terms apply to all patronage types. 

Information about our charity and how to contact us:  

Our registered charity name is the North of England Zoological Society (NEZS), a registered charity in England and Wales with registered charity number 306077.  

Our registered address is Cedar House, Caughall Rd, Upton by Chester, CH2 1LH.  

You can contact our Fundraising team about your patronage by calling 01244 650229, emailing fundraising@chesterzoo.org or writing to us (FAO Fundraising Team) at the address above.  

Patron benefits:  

The benefits and prices of our patron levels are as quoted on our website or our patron Scheme leaflet. Each patronage is for a term of 12 months. One month before the end of the initial term and every 12-month period thereafter, we will write to you giving you the option of renewing your patronage for an additional 12-month period to commence consecutively. Donations must be received in advance of patron continuation.  

Chester Zoo Membership: Your patronage entitles you and one other named individual to the same membership benefits of all members of NEZS under the Society’s terms of that membership during the term of your patronage. patrons will be provided with a new membership card which details their patronage level when their patronage commences. patrons are subject to our standard membership terms and conditions. Your membership card may not be valid for entry on certain special events in the zoo calendar (e.g. Lanterns). There may be an additional fee payable for patron entry to such events and this will be advertised as such.  

Visits, events, dinners and experiences: Please note that all visits, events, dinners and experiences are at the discretion of Chester Zoo, are subject to availability and will take place on a mutually agreed date. When visiting the Zoo our standard terms of entry apply. On certain visits additional terms may apply, for example when participating in experiences or for certain ticketed events within the zoo. There may be an additional fee payable for patron entry to such events and this will be advertised as such. Please read our terms and conditions for more information about visits to the zoo. 

Communications and updates: All communications will be sent to the email address provided unless otherwise requested. Postal communications in lieu of email communications can be arranged upon request. All communications are sent in line with our Privacy Policy. You can opt out of communications at any time by contacting fundraising@chesterzoo.org. 

Acknowledgement within the zoo: All patrons will be acknowledged on a Thank You board within the zoo with the name provided at the point of becoming a patron. If you do not wish for your name to be included, please let us know. This board will be updated monthly and your name will stay up for 12 months from that point or for further periods of 12 months should you choose to continue your patronage. 

Guest tickets: Guardian and Conservation patrons are entitled to bring two guests to the zoo on one occasion throughout a 12-month period. Chester Zoo reserves the right to reject entry or remove guests if your guests refuse to comply with our terms and conditions. 

Field Project Trip: Conservation patrons have the opportunity to join Chester Zoo staff on one Field Project trip per year of patronage. All Field Project trips are at the discretion of Chester Zoo and trips must align with our charity’s conservation priorities. We will always seek to align an opportunity with your interests, but we are unable to guarantee facilitation of a patrons first choice Field Project trip. When claiming the benefit of joining Chester Zoo staff on a Field Project trip, patrons must seek to claim this within 24 months of their patron commencement date. The trip is for the patron and one other named person may also attend. The costs associated with the Field Project trip are not covered within the patronage donation and extra costs will apply (including but not limited to insurance, travel, accommodation and subsistence). patrons and their guests are solely responsible for ensuring they are in suitable health and physical condition to participate in a trip and that they have no medical conditions that may be exacerbated by the activities involved.  

Payment: 

Payment of both the donation portion and benefits portion can be made as one-off payments made online, by card over the phone, by bank transfer and by cheque. You can also set up a monthly direct debit if you choose to pay monthly. Please contact us on fundraising@chesterzoo.org or 01244 650229 to discuss making a payment. 

Gift Aid: Gift Aid can be applied to the total donation amount and the value of the membership benefit only when payment is made by UK taxpayers. This will enable our charity to claim 25% more on the combined value of your donation and membership - helping our charity to carry out even more vital conservation work. If paying by Direct Debit, Gift Aid will only be claimed after receipt of each induvial payment on the total of that payment. On making a gift aid declaration, the patron confirms they are a UK taxpayer and understand that if they pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on the donations in a tax year, it is their responsibility to pay any difference. Please note, if a patron elects a person who isn’t a member of their household to become a member as part of their patronage benefits, our charity will not be able to claim Gift Aid on their portion of the membership.  

VAT: A number of the defined benefits included in our patron levels include VAT at the standard rate. 

Acceptance of your order: 

Our acceptance of your order will take place when we contact you to confirm that payment has been received. Your patronage will start on the date of acceptance and last for 12 months from this date.  

If we are unable to accept your order, we will inform you of this and will not take payment. This might be because we have identified an issue with your payment or for matters relating to general admission terms and conditions (such as having funds outstanding to us or if there has been a history of failed payments to our charity).  

Changes to your benefits:  

Chester Zoo reserves the right to change the benefits of patronage due to the availability of benefits, capacity of staff, or changes to zoo operations. Any changes to benefits will always be communicated to the named patron on the contact details provided.

Your patron membership card:  

You will be issued with a patron membership card which states your patron level. This can be sent to you via post or collected from our Membership office at the zoo’s main entrance upon request. You must bring your patron membership card with you every time you visit the zoo or when you make use of other patronage benefits. Your card may only be used by you and is not transferable under any circumstances. Any misuse of your patron membership card may result in it being confiscated with no refund. patron membership cards are not valid after the patronage expires.  

Your rights to cancel your patronage or make changes:   

If you tell us that you have changed your mind about your patronage within 5 working days (cooling off period) of purchasing it, we will cancel your patronage and issue a refund. We reserve the right to make deductions (at our sole discretion) of the pro-rata value of your patronage or for the total value of benefits used up to a maximum of your patronage subscription. You are not entitled to a refund if you cancel your patronage after the cooling off period.  

If you cancel your patronage after the cooling off period and you pay by monthly Direct Debit, we reserve the right to invoice you for the full financial commitment of the relevant 12-month contract of patronage (less the payments already made by you for your patronage in the relevant year). If you wish to cancel your patronage, please write to us at the address above, email us at fundraising@chesterzoo.org or call us on 01244 650229.  

Please note – Chester Zoo is not permitted to offer a refund if you choose not to attend any of our patron events or use the benefits attached to your scheme. 

Our rights to cancel:   

We may end the contract and cancel or suspend your patronage benefits at any time if you do not make a payment to us when payment is due. 

How we will use your personal information:  

We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy.