RESIDENTS at a Basingstoke care home enjoyed a day ‘out’ with a twist, as activities continue to adapt to coronavirus restrictions.

Staff and residents at Barchester’s St Thomas care home in South View were treated to an exciting virtual tour of Five Sisters Zoo, hosted by head of education, Adam Welsh.

Five Sisters Zoo is a family run zoo in West Calder, Scotland, with over 160 different animal species from around the world. Originally a garden centre that helped to rehome unwanted pets, the animal collection grew and grew until the zoo was officially founded in 2005.

Adam’s presentation showed all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at the zoo and explored the vital conservation, rescue and education work carried out.

Adam said: “We really enjoyed being able to show the Barchester residents some of the fantastic animals we have at Five Sisters Zoo. We are very proud of the work our brilliant teams do. We were just so happy to be able to share our passion for wildlife conservation and animal rescue.”

Lucy Tomlinson, resident experience manager for Barchester Healthcare, added: “We have been using technology to keep our residents and patients connected with their loved ones as well as offer virtual events, entertainment and activities throughout the pandemic. We are excited to work with our amazing partners like Five Sisters Zoo to bring a wide range of different experiences into our homes for all to enjoy, particularly as this talk provided such a lovely opportunity to see so many different animals and learn all kinds of fascinating facts about them.

“Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active and socially connected, providing a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.”

General manager at St Thomas care home, Fatmata Cochrane, said: “The story behind the zoo is so interesting and all our residents are fascinated by animals so we were delighted to be able to watch this fantastic presentation. It was brilliant to be able to ask Adam and his team questions about their experiences of working with the different animals.”