Online support group for Cornish families who may be struggling during lockdown
Camel Creek Adventure Park is helping the local community
A family attraction in Cornwall has launched an online support group for families who may be struggling during lockdown.
Camel Creek Adventure Park, based near Wadebridge, has created the ‘Cornwall Listens so let’s get talking’ Facebook group.
It aims to support the community through whatever they face in the coming weeks and months. Whether it’s support with mental health, autism awareness, loneliness, or shielding and isolation support.
The idea was shaped by members of the Camel Creek team who have, like many, been experiencing their own feelings of loneliness and isolation, while noticing behavioural changes in their children, who have been missing their friends, daily routines and ‘normal life’.
"When the park is open, we usually welcome over 100,000 people through our doors each year – that’s a lot of happy families who are now stuck at home. As a team, we’ve been experiencing our own struggles and were concerned to see so many posts on social media from people going through a hard time.
"Camel Creek is a place which aims to bring families together to create joyful, memorable experiences and we feel it’s important to keep that going and try to help however we can.”
Alexis Camelin, General Manager of Camel Creek Adventure Park
The support group encourages people to get in touch to chat about the problems they’re experiencing, or offer solutions to the community on how to cope day to day. Camel Creek has enlisted help from mental health professionals and charities to refer anyone with more specific needs.
Lockdown restrictions permitting, Camel Creek hopes to open the park free of charge one day a week to their community members, providing a safe and open space for family households to visit the animals, feed the fish, have a cup of tea while the park is closed to the general public.
In addition to the online support group, park staff are on hand to assist locals who are shielding and need help with collecting shopping or prescriptions.
Alexis continues: “We were overwhelmed by the support from our local community during 2020 - including a 50% increase in local visitors and a 30% increase in memberships. We had one of our best Halloween’s on record and tripled the number of visitors to the park on the first Christmas weekend in December. As we have the resources available, we’re keen to give back and help others however we can – we urge people to get in touch.”
You can find the Facebook group here.