Belfast Zoo helps to bring Christmas joy to Children’s Hospital

Belfast Zoo joined the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, on Monday (15th December) to help bring festive cheer to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, as part of the Lord Mayor’s visit supporting the local charity, Little Heroes.

During the visit, Belfast Zoo mascots, Brian the Lion and Benny the Bear, accompanied the Lord Mayor as she met young patients, families and hospital staff. The Zoo team helped spread Christmas joy throughout the hospital by handing out festive goodie bags and complimentary family tickets to Belfast Zoo, giving children and families something special to look forward to in 2026.

The visit was made even more magical with the addition of Santa and Mrs Claus, creating smiles and memorable moments for children spending time in hospital during the festive season.

By joining the Lord Mayor’s visit, Belfast Zoo reinforced its commitment to supporting community wellbeing and working alongside city partners to bring comfort and positivity to children and families facing challenging circumstances.

Ryan McAnoy, Marketing and Events Officer at Belfast Zoo said:

“It was a real privilege for Belfast Zoo to join the Lord Mayor during a visit to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. As a city Zoo, being part of our local community is incredibly important to us and this visit was about bringing some Christmas joy, positivity and light-hearted moments to children and families during what can be a very challenging time. Seeing the smiles on faces throughout the hospital truly showed the power of coming together to support our city’s little heroes.”

Belfast Zoo would like to thank the staff at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children for their warm welcome, and Little Heroes, Santa and Mrs Claus for helping to make the visit such a success.