Wellbeing Through Wildlife

There is plenty of evidence that shows spending time outdoors amongst wildlife can significantly enhance your mental health and wellbeing. From reducing stress and anxiety to boosting mood and creativity, Knowsley Safari Park, with its access to acres of beautiful natural landscapes and diverse wildlife, is the perfect setting for our wellbeing initiative.

The two hour sessions offer colleagues the chance to step away from their daily routine, immerse themselves in nature, and engage in activities designed to promote relaxation and wellbeing. Whether it's a guided nature walk, mindfulness exercises amidst the tranquil surroundings, or simply taking in the sights and sounds of the park, each session promises to provide a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Colleagues will have the chance to see a variety of wildlife on the day, which may include lions, zebras, rhinos, capybaras. 

Sessions run at various times (please see below) and each session is open to a maximum of 20 people.

How do I book a place?

1. Check your rota to see if you are scheduled to be in work for the date you wish to attend, if you are, you must obtain permission from your line manager before booking your space to reduce the number of cancellations and lost funds.
2. Complete the consent form in full and send to wellbeinghub@merseycare.nhs.uk including the date you wish to attend. If you do not provide a consent form your request will not be processed.
3. The Wellbeing Team will provide you with a confirmation of booking if you have been successful. Until you receive this, your booking is not confirmed.

What if my booking is unsuccessful?

We understand the disappointment of missing out on this programme. If your booking is unsuccessful and you have followed the above booking procedure, we may be in touch in the event of last-minute cancellations.

To ensure we are being fair to colleagues who have not attended the programme before, we kindly ask that you do not book onto this new cohort if you have previously been lucky enough to take advantage of the programme.

Can I book for my whole team?

Only managers can book spaces for a whole team.

If needed, managers can book smaller groups of staff across different dates to allow for safe staffing levels.

However, we still need consent forms for all who wish to attend before it will be processed and we kindly ask that you give realistic allowances for staffing levels.

Cancellations

We understand that sometimes life happens, and even though we have good intentions, other priorities may result in needing to cancel your booking.

If you need to cancel a booking, please email us as soon as possible so we can offer the spaces to someone else, and the charitable funds don’t go to waste. This programme is completely funded by our Mersey Cares charity and sponsors, and we want to ensure we use those funds effectively to best support our colleagues’ wellbeing.

When booking please take extra caution of other commitments and obtain the correct permissions before sending in your requests to minimise the chances of a cancellation.

Available dates
(20 spaces are available for each session)

A request to be placed on the waiting list does not guarantee a place on the session

As our funding for these events is limited, we sadly may not be able to offer all teams who apply a place. In the event of high demand, priority will be given to teams which haven’t accessed the initiative before.

All queries should be directed to wellbeinghub@merseycare.nhs.uk from Mersey Care mail boxes.

Page last updated: 18 May 2026