Walking on the wild side: A special morning out for families in Weldmar’s care

You might not expect reptiles and hospice care to ever cross paths, but families in Weldmar’s care got to walk on the wild side with a visit to The Ranch on the Wild Side in Portland.

The families – most of whom are experiencing bereavement – spent the morning learning all about their new scaly friends, and many were even brave enough to handle them!

“We’ve just had such a lovely morning!” says Weldmar Counsellor Sandra Francis, “Getting to know more about the animals, the young people have been picking them up and making a fuss of them. The parents are having a good coffee and cake here as well!”

At Weldmar, our Patient and Family Support team continue to support families after their loved one has died. This includes counselling, attending Wellbeing Support Session activities, and bespoke help for children and young people. For the families visiting The Ranch on the Wild Side, it was an opportunity to come together with others who are experiencing one of life’s most difficult journeys, and create connections and happy memories with each other.

“It’s just lovely to get these families together, and they’re making friends” explains Sandra, “Talking or not talking about how things are for them, which is just lovely to see.”

Our thanks to the team at The Ranch on the Wild Side for working with us to facilitate this fantastic experience, and to the families who attended for allowing us to share the experience with you.