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‘Horses reach young people in a way nothing else does’: Carl Hester backs campaign for new equine therapy centre

Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Carl Hester is supporting a fundraising campaign with charity Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH) to build an equine-assisted therapy centre in London.

    SLTH supports more than 600 people annually and delivers evidence-based equine-assisted therapy and education programmes for young people aged six to 25, who are struggling with social, emotional or learning challenges.

    “I’ve spent my life around horses and I’ve seen first-hand what they can do, not just in sport, but for people,” said Carl, an SLTH ambassador.

    “The work being done at SLTH is genuinely important. These are young people who have often been written off elsewhere, and horses reach them in a way nothing else does. Building a proper centre for this work is not just worthwhile, it’s necessary.”

    The charity has raised £400,000 to secure and activate the site at Mays Lane, and is now seeking investment to fund the next phase. The new facilities will include a covered arena for year-round therapy and education, classrooms and therapy rooms, fully wheelchair-accessible pathways, 12 stables and hay barn, and upgraded zone for staff.

    “We have spent 15 years proving that this model works, and the data backs it up. Young people who have been excluded from school, who won’t walk into a therapy room, who haven’t left the house in years. They come to us, they engage, and they change,” said SLTH chief executive Rosie Bensley.

    “The challenge is no longer whether this works. The challenge is capacity. Our current infrastructure is operating at full capacity and demand continues to grow. This build is the next chapter and we’re looking for partners who want to be part of it.”

    Supporters can get involved by donating to SLTH’s crowdfunder campaign. The charity is also welcoming sponsors such as companies, trusts and foundations for further development at the site, to include a new outdoor arena and covered outdoor spaces.

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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