Thanks to Tesco Stronger Starts we were able to take fourteen children and their parent or guardian on a trip to Strawberry Fields Care Farm which specialises in therapeutic experiences with animals.
On a windy afternoon this August, children we support enjoyed hand-feeding alpacas, grooming a therapy pony, walking goats from their paddock to a field, making horseshoe art and having a picnic on the farm near Welwyn.
One parent explained that the trip was “a wonderful distraction” from the things her son has been dealing with. “He loved walking the goats and saying hello to the Alpacas. We are so grateful for the afternoon at the farm and the wonderful work the Hospice does supporting the children.”
When children see and feel stress in their family due to serious illness or bereavement, trips like these can offer much-needed respite. As one parent noted after the visit, “It took me away from all [my caring] responsibilities. It was a day out for the three of us together, switching off from everything. We all had an amazing and much needed break.”
Another parent reported that her daughter’s favourite bits were, “meeting all the animals, creating her horseshoe masterpiece, the yummy hot chocolate and meeting other children who had lost their mummy or daddy.”
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