The torrential downpours on Wednesday didn’t stop us from enjoying the JRS Family Outing to London Zoo, although the rain did make it difficult to spot some of the animals! The rain also didn’t dampen the birthday celebrations of one of our wonderful volunteers, Ahmed, who decided to spend his birthday accompanying the JRS crew of families, staff and volunteers on the trip.
“I haven’t been to the zoo since I was seven so seeing the variety of animals was really special – from lions to tigers to butterflies and flamingos! And everyone enjoyed themselves despite the rain!” said Ahmed.
Around thirty families joined us for our annual Family Outing. Some families met our staff and volunteers at London Zoo, while others met us at the office in Wapping. Once everyone arrived the families were free to venture off and explore the Zoo, finding their favourite animals and attempting to stay dry.
We joined with several families and found ourselves next to the penguin enclosure just in time to watch them being fed. While the adults struggled with umbrellas and plastic ponchos, the kids and the penguins seemed oblivious to the rain. One little girl was delighted to watch her favourite animal guzzling down fish and diving into the water. Another little girl excitedly exclaimed ‘Wake up Monkey!’ to a dozing Humboldt Penguin and so it seemed obvious that next we should find the primate enclosure.
The joy and excitement of the kids made up for the less than favourable weather conditions. Although the families all looked a little drenched by the end of the day, it seemed that everyone had enjoyed themselves. The outing is a chance for our friends to spend time with their families and participate in activities they might not otherwise have access to. During the school holidays, it is also a much appreciated excursion to entertain the little ones.
Also importantly, it seemed Ahmed had a lovely birthday. “The zoo was a marvelous experience for me,” he said, “Not only did I get to see many different animals but I got to enjoy my time and my birthday with the JRS team and our friends!”
With the Summer nearly over, we at JRS will have to start planning next year’s excursion (and maybe start praying for a sunny day too!).
Family outings like this are only possibly thanks to the generosity of your donations.
Donate to the work of JRS today
