This month, in our minibus, we’ve taken two trips to Yalding and Kenward Trust for a unique alpaca experience with our Loose Valley Care Home residents, where we were able to be with the animals for one hour, petting and feeding them.
We visited on Thursday 1 May and again on Thursday 15 May, with six different residents and family members helping with the outing. Grace, June and Jenette came on our first trip, then on our second outing we took Joy, Glenis and Lillian. Lillian’s daughter Hazel kindly met us there, as did Joy’s son Paul. We also had Grace’s son Robin and his wife helping, plus Jenette’s friend Dave. Our lovely volunteer David also came along to support on our second trip.
Meeting the wonderful alpacas was a real treat! There were eight in total, all boys, and our ladies loved interacting with them. We were able to feed the alpacas, pet them, or just watch them if we wished.
Full of character, alpacas are known for their gentle and calming nature, and this therapeutic experience was full of positive interactions, promoting both engagement and relaxation. The alpaca fleece is incredibly thick, further enhancing our sensory experience.
After learning all about the alpacas, we visited the cafe to enjoy tea and coffee while we chatted about our day. Our residents were also able to buy toy alpaca keepsakes, which were a lovely memento of our experience.
What fantastic trips!
