Young people receiving care at the East Lancashire Child and Adolescent Service (ELCAS) day unit at Burnley Hospital recently enjoyed an unforgettable experience thanks to a generous donation.
The donation to Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s (LSCFT) charity, Hope and Mind at LSCFT is supporting animal safari sessions. The first session provided five young people aged 13–16 the chance to interact with a variety of fascinating animals, including Dennis the giant rabbit, Mia the skinny pig, Freddie the skunk, Bruce the blue-tongue skink, Freckle the cockatiel, Ziggy the crested gecko, Dora the guinea pig and Alfie the tenrec.
The session was designed to support recovery and wellbeing by helping young people build their confidence, improve communication skills and strengthen peer relationships, all whilst having fun. The activities during the session included handling the animals and learning about their behaviours, diets, and unique traits. The group discovered that a cockatiel raises its crest feathers when alert, a useful tip for safe interaction.
Jason Howard, Team Coordinator for Child and Young People’s Services, said:
“The animal safari sessions provide a wonderful opportunity for our young people and we’re incredibly grateful to the charity for making them possible. Interacting with the animals in a calm, supportive environment helped the young people relax, feel more at ease and engage in ways that can be difficult when they’re managing complex mental health challenges. Having the animals created moments of joy, curiosity, and calm that stayed with them long after the session ended.
“Opportunities like this really enrich their time in the day unit and offer meaningful emotional benefits. It also provides a valuable opportunity for staff to observe the young people in an activity, supporting us in developing a more informed understanding of their needs.”
Feedback from the young people was overwhelmingly positive, with most rating the session 4 or 5 out of 5, giving an average score of 4.8. Their comments highlighted feelings of happiness, excitement and increased confidence and when asked what they loved most, they all named their favourite animals!
Julie-Anne Weaver, Fundraising Manager for Hope and Mind at LSCFT added:
“It is fantastic to see how the support of our local community is making a difference to our young patients. We are extremely grateful for the donation in support of animal safari sessions and we are already looking forward to our next session planned for early next year.”
Hope and Mind at LSCFT supports Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community-based services across the region. Their vision is to help LSCFT achieve excellence in healthcare, reduce health inequalities, and break stigma surrounding mental health.
You can help Hope and Mind to shape brighter futures for patients and communities by making a donation or supporting through fundraising.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Whether you organise your own fundraiser, join an event or donate your time to help, your support is valued and is vital in helping to bring hope and make a difference.
