Care Residents Treated to a Koala-ty Time at London Zoo
A group of care residents enjoyed an extra-special day out last week when they were amongst the first to try the new Tour and Tea experience at ZSL London Zoo.
Accompanied by their carers, residents from CHD Living’s Surbiton Care Home and Kingston Rehabilitation Centre travelled across London for an exclusive preview of the new guided tour on its launch. Created with the retired community in mind, the Tour & Tea experience offers guests the chance to explore in a private group and learn more about life behind the scenes at the international conservation Zoo.
The day served as a fantastic morale boost for the residents who have, until recently, been confined to their care centres due to COVID-19 lockdowns. With some of the Kingston residents also currently recovering from life-changing injuries, the day was extra meaningful to them.
Venturing across the Zoo led by an expert ‘Storyteller’, the group saw a unique side to the capital’s famous landmark and learnt more about the conservation charity, ZSL, it’s 200-year history, and the wildlife they strive to preserve and protect.
After the uplifting tour, residents and staff enjoyed a delicious cream tea of homemade earl grey infused scones served with Devon clotted cream and strawberry jam and a pot of English Breakfast tea at one of the zoo’s unique dining locations.
Discussing the experience, Dorothy Worrall (97), a resident at CHD Living, said: “We had a wonderful time at London Zoo. I have never been before, so it was fascinating to hear about the conservation charity and the animals.
We were treated to a lovely cream tea, too, which is my favourite! It was so special to be outside again after lockdown. It almost felt like we were back to normality – I couldn’t stop smiling afterwards! Thanks to both CHD Living and London Zoo for the fantastic day out.”
Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Hospitality and Communications at CHD Living, commented, “We wanted to do something special for our residents who have had a challenging year for various reasons. We were delighted that ZSL London Zoo agreed to work with us on this project. It has been such a special day and brought so much joy to our residents and the care staff that accompanied them”
“We would highly recommend the Tour & Tea experience to the older community looking for a relaxed, enjoyable activity, and we hope to return with the residents from our other care homes and rehabilitation centres very soon,” Shaleeza concluded.
Joy Hadfield, Experiences Manager at ZSL London Zoo said; “We have so many stories to share, from ZSL London Zoo’s vast history to the fascinating stories of famed animals and people, past and present. We were so pleased to be able to share some of these stories with residents of CHD Living, who were the first to take part our Tour and Tea experience and bring a smile to everyone’s face after such a challenging year.”
