Marwell Zoo.

On Wednesday Tom and I went to one of our most favourite places, Marwell Zoo. We love the zoo for so many different reasons.

Marwell has done such an amazing job at making the whole zoo accessible for people who are completely relient of their wheelchairs. When Tom and I go to the zoo it is such a lovely, easy experience. When you are looking after someone who has very complex medical needs it can be tricky to find places to go where both the child and the carer can relax. Marwell Zoo has made this possible.

The first thing Marwell has done so brilliantly is they have provided enough accessible parking! This may seem very trival to many but those who drive a huge van around will understand the fustration when they is not enough accessible parking. Tom's van has a side lift so this means that we can only park in a bay that has the extra space either side. The car park really does make all the difference and takes a lot of the stress away.

Tom has an annual membership to Marwell Zoo as we love going so much. As Tom requires a carer with him at all times his membership includes a carers entry. This is something that not all places do, often you still have to pay for the carer to enter to. There is never a queue at the gates so we can always walk straight in even when it is super busy, this is great for us because Tom and I don't like to queue!

As you are walking around the zoo it is all accessible, you can get right up to close to the animals just as any other child can. This makes it so lovely because Tom and i can spend time together talking about the animals and talking about what he can see. The way Marwell have executed the inlcusive atmosphere seems so effortless, they have done what many others fail to do.

Marwell Zoo also has a changing place. For those who don't know changing places are fully accessible toilets, they will include a hoist, an ajustable changing bench that will be suitable for both children and adults, a toilet, sink and a large bin. There is a huge campain for changing places at the moment as there is a severe lack of fully accessible toilets and as some children are having to be changed on dirty toilet floors. For more information on this

campaign follow the link.(http://www.changing-places.org/Default.aspx)

One of Tom's most favourite parts of the zoo is the giraffe house. Tom has always loved the Giraffes, he stares at them with such inquisitive eyes, it's beautiful to watch.

On Wednesday when we went to the zoo Tom and I went to the giraffe house, it was so busy that we couldn't really get in, we don't like taking Tom anywhere that is too busy as it quickly becomes stressful and we like to avoid any stress. Due to the giraffe house being so busy Tom and I went to sit by Marwell hall. We had the most beautiful time, No one was around and it was so quiet that we sat together and listened to the birds singing. These are the moments I love most with Tom. We did go to back to the giraffe house and Tom gave a huge smile when he saw the giraffes, they were eating their lunch and Tom found this very amusing.

There are so many wonderful things about Marwell Zoo I could go on and on about it. These are just a few of the things we love about Marwell. If you are in Hampshire be sure to check it out. If you are intrested click on the picture of Tom on the homepage to find the website for Marwell Zoo.