Walgrave stables boosting young people's mental health and self-esteem through working with horses

Staff at a company set up to provide a horse-based equine therapy learning environment for young people at risk are marking their first decade at their Walgrave centre.

The Seeds of Change was founded in Newland Road as the Northamptonshire base to provide a outdoors experience for children facing difficulties at home and school, and have continued throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as key workers.

Working with 250 clients each year, the 'coaches' help young people with specialist conditions including selective mutism, self-harm, eating disorders, drug or alcohol abuse, addictions or offending behaviour, as well as mental health problems, anxiety disorders and autism, and related conditions.

Katherine Dillon, director of Seeds of Change, said: "Life has been and is really tough for many, especially children in families affected by redundancies, in confined and cramped home environments with family relationships breaking down, with sibling and parent tensions, anxieties around mental and physical health and with a sense of isolation that all adds up to a really toxic mix.

"The pandemic has affected everyone’s usual life routines such as work, school, social interaction, leisure and down-time and massively restricted access to one of the greatest interventions for positive mental health, fresh air and the countryside."

Young people can be referred for a placement with The Seeds of Change team who use horses as non-judgemental helpers for the young people to gain confidence.

As well as learning to care for the nine horses and ponies and ride them, the young people can gain qualifications to boost their chances of finding a job at the same time as improving their own mental well-being.

Katherine said: "We focus on well-being and building resilience but recognise the importance of study and fully support the young people in their endeavours to gain recognised City and Guilds accredited qualifications in employability skills, and functional skills in maths and English.

"We are able to offer this service in a containing, safe and therapeutic environment and have the great privilege of seeing many young people rise to the challenge.

"The individuals who access our provision have suffered many kinds of trauma, negative changes and challenges in their daily lives to such an extent that their ability to function in school and focus on their education and their own well-being has become a huge challenge.

“One child was referred to us two years ago by a local primary school, her attendance was down to less than 50 per cent.

“It seemed that her mum was struggling with her own mental health and her daughter found forming relationships at school hard

“Her school wanted her to attend the Seeds of Change for a 12-week one-to-one programme based around confidence and self-esteem.

“She is bright and demonstrates a natural empathy and kindness to the animals. This is where the horses are key. They provide that initial hook.

“To see her joy at meeting the horses for the first time, to be able to choose the one that she would like to work with the most.

“She was able to make positive choices that would begin enable her to begin to make the transferrable learning back her relationships possible.

“A more normal mother-daughter relationship began to develop, and by the end of the course she was managing herself in class and attending school for full days.

"It’s been a very positive outcome.”

Lockdown has brought new challenges with online learning and regular phone calls from the coaches for those young people who have been shielding.

Celebrations to mark the facility's tenth birthday have been put on hold and Seed of Change staff are expecting an increase in referrals in the wake of the pandemic.

Katherine said: "What happens now will have a lasting impact on young people’s mental health, for years to come - whether that's because of traumatic experiences at home, the pressures of isolation, or a breakdown in the support that gives them hope.

"It will be a challenge to re-engage, inspire and rejuvenate these young and lively minds.

"So, no matter to what extent the damage has caused, the havoc Covid-19 has bought to all of our lives, we remain positive.

Seeds of Change will host a free one-hour webinar on Tuesday, July 21 from 10am to 11am, focusing on anxiety.

To find out more or to book a place on the anxiety webinar go to www.theseedsofchange.co.uk.Message from the editor: Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.