Ponies Help Children was founded in 2015 by Moira Ireland and Heather Stephens. Our mission is to rescue ponies and offer transformative care to children and young people. Our goal is to improve the mental health and well-being of children across Central Scotland by nurturing connections between them and our rescued ponies.
Our story began with a lifelong passion for horses. This journey started with our first pony, Flake who became an inspiration for everyone she encountered. She taught us that the love and care you give a horse is returned tenfold. Building on this deep connection, Moira utilised her extensive knowledge of horses and began rescuing ponies who had experienced abuse or neglect. The ponies we rescue are nurtured back to full health and use their experiences to help children and young reach their full potential.
Since we started, we have helped rescue around 30 ponies and facilitate sessions for between 70 and 80 clients each block, reaching around 300 clients each year. Children who visit Ponies Help Childrenengage in hands-on, close contact with the ponies, developing a special bond. Each child participates in a 7-week block of 1-hour sessions, tailored to their needs. These sessions involve grooming, lead work, and meaningful interactions that help foster trust, emotional connection, and life skills.
We match each child with a pony who has also faced adversity, creating a shared foundation for growth and healing. This powerful bond supports the development of emotional resilience. trust, and social inclusion, all while promoting mental and physical well-being.
Ponies Help Children achieved charity status in 2015, thanks to the dedication of our volunteers who care for the ponies and assist in client sessions. Though Moira sadly passed away in November 2019, Heather and the team have continued her legacy, expanding the charities reach and impact.
In 2021, we opened a new facility (Fred the shed), allowing us to increase the number of sessions and clients we support each week. As we continue to grow, we are committed to helping even more children build confidence, trust and joy through their relationships with our ponies.
Our clients have come from local autism charities, HOPE and REACH, and from organisations dealing with children in kinship care. The great reputation and overall development of Ponies Help Children has resulted in us working with North Lanarkshire Council, DeafBlind Scotland, Barnardo's, Chris's House, South Lanarkshire Council, Sense Scotland, Women's Aid, Action for Children - Young Carers, Nurture Scotland, Blameless, local schools and many more.
The Ponies Help Children Podcast started early 2023 with a view to share behind the scene stories of our ever evolving charity and speak with some of our supporters in the community.
So far, we have shared the stories of some of our horses (Ep 6, 7 and 18), spoke with supporters in education and social care (Ep 5 and 17) as well as our strong ties with Stirling University (Ep 8, 16 and 24).
To find all of our episodes, follow the below link;
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ponies-help-children (or search for "Ponies Help Children" podcast on any of the main platforms you may use like Apple, Google, Amazon music, etc.)
For updates and reminders of the podcast, please follow @PHC.Podcast on INSTAGRAM