Evelina Children's Hospital and Max Appeal Zoo Day

On Saturday 21 February the Evelina Children's Hospital and Max Appeal hosted a joint event for children and families at London Zoo. 

The sensory-friendly Family Day at London Zoo was for children aged 4–11 years attending the Evelina London 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome clinic and their families, with the aim of promoting wellbeing, reducing isolation, and strengthening peer support within the 22q11.2 community.

A dedicated event room enabled children to engage in creative activities and the families to build connections with others who share similar experiences.   Two Max Appeal Trustees, Mark and Mandy, were in attendance to provide additional support and advice to families. 

The day included arts and crafts sessions for children;  a guided, family-friendly visit to London Zoo, allowing children and their accompanying parents or carers to explore the zoo at their own pace in a relaxed and enjoyable setting; and dedicated opportunities for parents and carers to connect, share experiences, and build informal peer support networks while children participate in activities.   There was a regional connection activity using a map of South-East England that allowed families to (voluntarily) identify and link up with others living nearby.