Animal visit brings smiles all round
Last week, we welcomed a wonderful selection of animals to the Wellbeing Hub at Whipps Cross Hospital, giving our staff, volunteers and students the chance to drop in for a cuddle or to simply observe.
A huge thank you to Jonathan Livingstone and Claire Davis for organising the visit, designed to bring a moment of happiness during a busy working day.
Claire shared the inspiration behind the idea: “The original idea came from my daughter’s freshers’ week at university, where the welfare team had arranged a similar event. We adapted that concept for our World Wellbeing Week and Winter at Whipps programmes.
“The animals were a huge success the first time they visited, and they continue to be one of the happiest days of the year for many of our colleagues.”
Now in its fourth visit, the event gave colleagues the chance to meet Goose the skunk, along with rabbits, bearded dragons, snakes, guinea pigs and many more rescued animals.
Staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
“Thank you so much! It’s brought so much joy to me and my team.” - Mahie, Speech and Language Therapies
“Great idea! Very rewarding experience. My student held a rabbit. I held the snake!!” - Lorraine, Project Search
“The best experience ever! I had the best time!” - Shannon, Soft FM
Get to Know Animals, an exotic animal sanctuary that rescues pets, said they love seeing the positive impact these visits have on hospital staff.
You can watch highlights from the visit here.