Belong Wigan Residents Have Fun On The Farm

Residents of specialist care village, Belong Wigan, were delighted to spend a day getting up close and personal with a range of animals during a trip to Hope View Sensory Farm, an Alzheimer’s and Dementia friendly farm in Astley.

Residents were given a tour of the farm and encouraged to help feed and pet the alpacas, llamas, goats and chickens and groom the miniature horses. The tour group was accompanied around the farm by 12-week-old ‘Pedro’ the goat, who took a shine to the Belong village residents and even tried to jump on their laps.

Animal interaction has been proven to hold therapeutic benefits for older people; nurturing animals helps to reduce agitation, loneliness and depression that can be experienced by individuals with dementia.

After feeding the animals and learning about each of the species, residents spent time relaxing by the farm’s fishing pond, which has an outdoor area and summer house.

Marie Calderbank, Experience Coordinator at Belong Wigan, said: “A wonderful day was had by everybody at Hope View Sensory Farm. The staff at the farm were very welcoming, warm and positive and treated everyone with respect, dignity and equality. Everyone who went on the trip really enjoyed themselves and had a smile from ear to ear. We look forward to visiting the animals again soon!”