We’ve decided to switch things up for the next couple of Spotlight Saturdays, focusing on two of our new Essex ActivAte delivery partners and the amazing work they’ve been doing to support the children and young people who need it most!
The Peaceful Pony CIC is an emotional well being centre running from a location in North Benfleet known as The Peaceful Pony therapy Centre. They have a whole rage of services and different levels of support depending on levels of need and risk. They provide seated counselling and other talking therapy approaches combined with Equine facilitated learning/therapy, as well as offering confidence building sessions, one to one facilitated sessions with the horses, greet and grooms, Home Educated fun and support, Children and Adults Learning disability supported sessions….. and even more! They believe in supporting any person and of any age, with a simple message of supporting people find their inner peace and purpose.
The Peaceful Pony team join the Essex ActivAte programme ahead of the Easter holidays, after working with young people for some time, but most of which was self funded by families, with very limited funded sessions available. Founder of Peaceful Pony, Holly, said: “It was an essential goal for us to be able to support a wider group of children and families that needed it, particularly during the school holidays; Essex ActivAte was literally the golden answer to our goals!”
What activities might attendees expect to get involved in at your Essex ActivAte club?
“Fun, fun and more FUN- this is the only rule we have!! We offer a whole range of activities from working directly with horses, leading and grooming, to learning about Stable management and how to muck out….. also the odd one or two stable bedding fight with of course adults being the losers! We also have free play time in our sensory shed, free play area, straw “playground” climbing frame. The Peaceful Earth Project also hold sessions during the day which looks at planting seeds, learning and working in nature… there is also paint involved and getting messy, or leaving our mark as we see. We hope by being within our environment, young people and their families can just “be” and find fun without fear or judgement. During Essex ActivAte, it has been an amazing place for young people and their families to also connect with each other; there has been a whole wider support group building.”
What do you hope youngsters will go away from your club with, in terms of skills, experiences or feelings?
“We hope that young people come to us, learning how to spread their little wings, and learn how to fly and know the feeling of being free. Young people have learnt and built on current skills, being in a new environment, connecting and playing around others. We have experienced a lot of laughter, even from children who have been non verbal. We have experienced young people building and sustaining connections, not only with others and the animals around them, but also their selves. Young people have benefitted so much from learning about horses, their emotions and how to care for them, also the nature around them.”
Why do you think it’s important that children and young people have access to holiday activities and food?
“One of the obvious reasons is to ensure young people have purpose and safety during the school holidays. For us, we feel its important for children to remember how to be a child in though world we live in at the moment. Having this time, gives a child a place to be, have fun and hopefully find peace, regardless on the children’s background and life. All Children having access to holiday activities and food makes them all have the access to being ‘equal’.”
Across the Essex ActivAte programme we are proud to offer an number of animal encounters, both within mainstream clubs and as the basis for a number of Mental Wellbeing Hubs. We work with locally trusted organisations like Peaceful Pony to support the physical and mental wellbeing of school aged children and young people who would otherwise not have access to holiday clubs or activities. Click here to find out more about our holiday support, find out if you’re eligible and explore the clubs on offer this Half Term.
To find out more about Peaceful Pony CIC visit their website.
