Firm supports equine therapy
● CHEMICALS manufacturer Inovyn donated £750 to a church school in Runcorn to fund an therapy programme using the grace and charm of horses for students.
Hope Academy, part of Hope Corner Community Church, is an independent school with an emphasis on personal development and learning through experience.
For the last six weeks the students have been visiting Freedom Equine Centre in Bridge Trafford, which specialises in providing the chance to develop social, emotional and communication skills via interaction with horses, ponies and other equine animals.
The facility can work with all ages and abilities including those who might be a little bit nervous around such creatures.
For six weeks, the students have been involved in activities such as leading horses and ponies around an agility course feeding the alpacas, caring for one-day-old lambs and building a small play area for newly-arrived pygmy goat kids.
The school is also using the experience to take their pupils through an ASDAN certificate animal care, which means they will have a qualification at the end of the course as well as their experience.
Maria Houghton, Hope Corner Academy headteacher, said: “It has been fantastic to be able to give this opportunity to our students and having attended some of the sessions I was delighted to see the positive influence interaction with the animals had.
“Therapies such as this have been proven to provide a calming influence on young people with special needs and I have witnessed that first hand.
“I know that each student has learned something about themselves from the equine-assisted therapy and will remember this experience through their life.
“We are so grateful to Inovyn as without their support and funding this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Janet Ward, Inovyn’s UK communications manager, said: “We are proud to be able to support this project. “The school is located right on our doorstep and so providing some support to these students was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down.
“I actually went to one of the sessions to see how the students responded to this alternative therapy and it was amazing.
“The students were really engaged and obviously had a great time.
“The experience will also help them to attain a qualification, which is an added bonus.”