‘The funding has been a godsend’

Jo Hawkins is the director of EQUATA (Equine Assisted Therapy Association), based near Kettering, which she founded ten years ago to help autistic children. It now has four horses and three ponies, and has received around £7,500 from Tesco to provide outdoor play facilities and bark flooring. “I’d suffered terrible facial injuries in a car crash, and found being with horses so therapeutic,” says Jo. “That inspired me to set up the charity. “Horses don’t judge you on your appearance and they gave me the confidence to get on with my life – and I knew others could benefit from being with horses too. “Our main focus has been on autistic children and their families – we’ve helped around 10,000 over the years – but we’ve also helped a lot of youngsters with depression, and even adults with mental health issues. “Horses and ponies are very empathetic creatures, and being with them boosts kids’ confidence and reduces their stress levels. “I’ll never forget one lad saying to me, ‘The ponies have taught me that there’s more than one way of doing things.’ “We built the fort-style playground – with its slide, sandpit and ramp, and play bark flooring – so there was something for children to do before ‘horsing around’ with the animals. “It’s been an absolute godsend. So I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to Tesco for funding the project and all those customers who voted for us to receive a donation. You’ve helped make a lot of children very happy!”

£11.5m raised by Bags of Help for 4,803 projects across the Midlands over five years

£4m Donated to groups by Tesco in 2020 through its Covid emergency fund