‘Days at the Haven’, a neurological respite day service run by Age Concern Southend-on-Sea welcomed a unique visitor this month, ‘Secret’ the therapy Pony.

Thanks to Silverbirch Animal Therapy CIC, clients had a wonderful afternoon interacting with ‘Secret’.

Animal-assisted therapy visits to people living with neurological conditions, such as Dementia, can often improve self-esteem and relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. They can also be an exciting part of a person’s day!

Sarah Wilson, Days at the Haven Supervisor, said “We love hosting new and varied activities at our respite day service and seeing the enjoyment on our clients’ faces. We are a pet-friendly facility and many of our clients are big animal lovers, so you could clearly see the enjoyment on their faces. We are always looking for new activities for them and continue to strive to offer them a quality care experience.

We are hoping to raise £50 for another visit from ‘Secret’ soon so more of our clients can enjoy this service and a Facebook fundraising link @AgeConcernSouthendonSea has been set up for this.”

If you or a loved one want to join in the fun and check out Age Concern Southend’s daycare centre, email sarah.wilson@acsos.co.uk or call the Age Concern Southend on Sea office on 01702 345373 to book a free trial.