Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Neigh bother to visit pupils
Equine guests the mane attractions
There was plenty of horsing around at St Margaret’s High as pupils earned a memorable reward for their efforts in a charity project.
Miniature Shetland ponies Buttons and Fudge were the star attractions as representatives of Ponies Help Children visited to show off the new horsebox purchased with the £3000 donation they received via the Airdrie school.
Pupils had been invited to research local charities and prepare a pitch on why they should win the grant from the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) – and the cheque ultimately went to the Salsburgh good cause.
Winning team members Abigail Cannon, Lara Grant, Morgan Harper, Meghan McDonald, Rachael McGoldrick and Caitlin Reilly impressed judges as they made the case for the charity, which runs individuallydesigned therapy sessions for children with additional support needs and also
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who have disablities.
Ponies Help Children founders Heather Stephens and her mother, Moira Ireland, used the windfall to buy a new horsebox to allow them to take Buttons and Fudge on visits to schools, old people’s homes and charity events – and immediately scheduled a return visit to the Airdrie school.
Heather told the Advertiser: “The excitement and noise were amazing – the ponies had never seen so many children and young people, and they lapped it all up.
“It was a really nice event and it was exciting being able to show off our ponies and our horsebox at St Margaret’s, who helped us to get it.
“We had an old horsebox but it was past its best – this one has our name and logo on it, so wherever we go, people will know who we are and where we’re from.
“It raises awareness of what we do as a charity; we just love talking about what we do and what it means to other people.”
The Shetland ponies were greeted by the school’s third-year pupils, who had participated in the YPI project – as well as youngsters from St Dominic’s Primary, which is based at the secondary school campus.
Ponies Help Children, set up two years ago, received the £3000 donation after the super six pupils chose to represent the charity in the school competition.
Groups of pupils were asked to research local grassroots charities receiving less than £100,000 per year, interview representatives and give a final presentation to a judging panel of head teacher Stephen Snee, senior pupils and a YPI representative.
Heather added: “We spent some time with the group of girls who gave the presentation; they loved seeing the ponies and getting cuddles, and really understood what the charity means to families with disabilities.
“We were delighted they represented us and were there for the final competition in the school – we were flabbergasted that our charity won, and it was because of the work they put in and the speech they made for us.”