Since 2013 we have been very happy to offer therapeutic visits to care homes, hospitals, day centres, and schools for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) in the Exeter and East Devon area.
Maggie has always been interested in animal assisted therapy. She is a member of the Society for Companion Animal Studies and gained a Distinction in their Introduction to Animal Assisted Interventions Course. She has also completed the NSPCC Safeguarding Children & Young People with Complex Needs Course and attended a Dementia Awareness course. She has several years' experience working with adults and children with complex needs through the Guernsey Riding and Driving for the Disabled Associations, as well as the Schools, Education and Therapy Unit of The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth.
Our therapeutic visits normally take place on Friday afternoons as Paul finishes his day job at lunchtime on Fridays, however we can often be flexible if you have a special event on another day of the week which you would like us to attend.
We bring along two calm, well trained and friendly llamas who are used to going indoors, and are happy to go into bedrooms (ground floor only!) They have very clean toilet habits and don't like to go indoors, preferring to wait until they can use outdoor facilities!
We normally find that a visit of around an hour works well, but again we can be flexible. We do not charge for our time - our charges are purely to help towards the cost of running the llama van, so normally depend on the distance we need to travel from Sidmouth.
We are thrilled to have had our therapy work featured in our local "One Magazine" as well as on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Spotlight following a visit to one of our favourite homes, Sundial Care Home in Tipton St John, near Sidmouth.
To read the full article about our visit to this lovely home, please follow this link to the Sundial Care Home
We are fully insured and we will be happy to supply a copy of our specific risk assessment for therapeutic visits. Please Contact Us for further details and charges or to book a visit.
As we do not charge the full amount it costs to provide therapeutic visits, we are always very grateful for any donations towards our therapy work. If you would like to make a small donation, please click on the donate icon.
We are very happy to attend community and fund-raising events in the Devon area with a couple of our llamas, free of charge.
One of the llamas' favourite annual events is the Exeter Nativity which takes place each December in the Cathedral. Here they star as the camels (with the help of some added humps!) or, as the Cathedral call them the "llamels"! They absolutely love being the stars of the show and lap up all the fuss and attention they get!
We are proud to support Sidmouth Library and attend the launch of their summer reading challenge for children each year. The llamas are also delighted to have been made honorary members of the Royal British Legion and proudly wear their poppies each November!
We are always very happy to help raise money for good causes - here are our old boys Ollie and Golly helping to raise money at Branscombe Harvest Fair for the Exeter Force Cancer Charity - with the help of some friendly daleks who put their exterminators to good use, holding onto the collecting boxes!
. . . . and here are Harry and George helping to raise money for Children's Hospice South West at a Christmas fundraising event at Sidmouth Garden Centre.
Please Contact Us if you are organising a community event and you'd like us to attend.