YOUNGSTERS at an Edinburgh hospital have come face-to-face with a T-Rex and taken selfies with a Diplodocus thanks to an exciting new charity partnership. Children and families at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children were delighted to meet animatronic versions of the ancient creatures as part of an upcoming tour of the capital.
A partnership between Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and multi-media company, Jurassic Kingdom, enabled the life-size dinosaurs to visit the children and teach them more about the extinct reptiles.
The children were able to touch and explore the imposing beasts as they roamed the hospital’s Drop-in Centre.
Daniel Rutherford, Drop-in Centre Manager for ECHC, said: “We’re always delighted when we can put on events which put a smile on the children’s faces and the dinosaur visit certainly did this.
“Often it can be harder for children in hospital to enjoy family days out so the dinosaur visit was a brilliant way of creating an experience that the whole family can enjoy together.
“It’s brilliant that the team from Jurassic Kingdom was able to come in and help create these memories for the youngsters which allows them to be a child first and a patient second.”
The Jurassic Kingdom tour allowed the youngsters to travel back over 65 million years to learn all about what life was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
They were able to take photos with them as they learned about the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous periods.
Naz Kabir, Weli Creative’s event and marketing director, said: “We were delighted to bring one of our dinosaurs along to the hospital so that children who won’t make it to the outdoor event can still experience the thrill and excitement of these fantastic prehistoric creatures.
“We want everyone in the community to be able to experience the adventure of the Jurassic Kingdom and bringing the special guest in to visit the children was just another way of spreading the fun.
“Almost everyone loves dinosaurs, you just have to look at everything from kids’ books to Hollywood films to see how popular they are.
“They remain one of the great mysteries of history, so while we may never be able to bring any back to life, we can do the next best thing. That’s what Jurassic Kingdom is all about – fun, adventure, excitement and education.”
This year’s Jurassic Kingdom event takes place on the grounds of Lauriston Castle, where 30 full-scale prehistoric creatures will be lurking around the grounds. The event runs from March 30 to April 15, and is on from 10am to 6pm daily.
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