Children from GOSH’s Mildred Creak Unit visited London Zoo to meet the chick as the two institutions launch a new nature and wellbeing partnership.

A Humboldt penguin chick hatched on 30 April at London Zoo has been named Mildred after the Mildred Creak Unit (MCU), celebrating the start of a special partnership between the Zoo and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH). Together, London Zoo and GOSH will co-develop nature-based activities and psychological interventions that support children and young people through their treatments – something young patients have raised as vitally important during a hospital stay.

Launching in ZSL's 200th anniversary year – the conservation charity that runs London Zoo – the partnership was marked by a special visit from children in the MCU. During the visit, the youngsters fed and provided enrichment for the penguins on Penguin Beach, met Mildred for the first time, and watched the newly named chick officially receive her identification band, which they helped design.

Young people from GOSH are playing a central role in shaping the new collaborative programme, ensuring it reflects their experiences and the kind of nature-based activities they would most benefit from.

Carly Vassar, Chief of Mental Health at GOSH, said: “Children and young people at our hospital often have really challenging journeys and they’ve told us they can feel lonely or isolated, which has a serious impact on their mental and physical health."

An important aspect of the partnership will be London Zoo’s vets and zookeepers working with patients to demonstrate how animals undergo many of the same medical procedures as people, particularly through veterinary care and mindfulness videos on a curated ‘nature channel’ accessed on their bedside digital tablets or visiting the zoo in person.

Carly added: “Many of our patients need blood tests, provide stool samples, X-rays and lots of other procedures, which can be really worrying for them. We hope that by giving them the chance to see animals having the same tests it helps make them feel more normal and eases their anxiety in a new fun way. As we work up some of our workstreams such as procedural distress and poo at the zoo, we look forward to a co-production session with our young people’s forum later in the year to shape the future direction of this.”

At the heart of both London Zoo and Great Ormond Street Hospital is expert care. While one team looks after wildlife and the other cares for children, we share a belief that every individual deserves compassion, attention and the opportunity to thrive. We also know the powerful role nature can play in supporting wellbeing, making this a natural and meaningful partnership.

Together, we'll create more opportunities for GOSH’s young people and families to connect with wildlife, whether that's through visits to the Zoo or by developing digital experiences for patients when getting outdoors isn't possible, helping ensure nature is accessible to everyone.

The partnership forms just one aspect of GOSH’s developing Green Care programme, which aims to harness the power of nature as a tool for public health, bringing it closer to where patients receive their care.

Carly added: “Our new Green Care programme aims to tackle this by bringing nature to our families to support their recovery and help them cope, grow and thrive. This partnership with London Zoo is so special – our patients will follow Mildred as she grows and know there is a little bit of GOSH just down the road at the Zoo.”