Charity pairing vulnerable children with horses

A horse rescue centre has given vulnerable children their "lives back" by offering alternative learning, parents say.

HorseWorld near Bristol looks after 100 animals on its site in Whitchurch in North Somerset and supports 200 rehomed animals across the region.

The centre offers a programme where vulnerable children are paired with rescue horses alongside an alternative education programme. It has recently launched a fundraiser to support 100 more children.

Rachel, whose son Charlie joined the programme aged 10, said: "He wasn't frightened and his confidence built through a sense of purpose by caring for the animals."

Rachel fought for her son to receive alternative learning at HorseWorld after years of disrupted mainstream education.

By the age of 10, Charlie had attended three different primary schools and Rachel was struggling to get his needs met.

"From that first session Charlie was desperate to go back," she said.

Paul, whose daughter Amelie has taken part in the programme since she was 14, said: "It's been really life-changing for Amelie, I would say, and life-affirming. She's got her life back, she's come to life."

Paul said Amelie had been going through years of school moves and children's mental health services before enrolling in HorseWorld's Discovery Programme.

He added: "She's enrolled in college - she's just really engaged with life again which she'd sort of checked out of."

Sharon Howell, HorseWorld facilitator, said:"The whole point of Discovery [programme] and working with these rescued horses is that a horse needs a strong leader and we encourage the young person to develop these leadership skills with the horse.

"It changes the way they think about themselves and their capabilities."

Paul added that he believes the fact that they are rescue horses is what appeals to Amelie.

"Amelie has gone through a lot in her life and I think she really connects with the animals because she knows a lot of them have gone through a lot in their life," he added.

HorseWorld is fundraising to finance 100 bursaries to give vulnerable children a place on the education programme.

Each bursary will fund a six-week placement on the charity's programme.

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