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Five young people who were at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) have successfully gained their British Horse Society (BHS) Ride Safe qualification at Stepney Bank Stables (SBS), thanks to a grant from the Daisy Marr Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
The qualification is an industry recognised professional level qualification which is recognised by equestrian employers worldwide and is the first step on the way to becoming a coach, groom or yard manager. For these young people aged 13 – 25, who have experienced disrupted schooling as a result of Covid-19 restrictions and are from families that that have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, gaining a vocational qualification at this level is hugely significant and will open up new avenues for further training or employment.
Elaine Holdsworth, Senior Philanthropy Advisor at Community Foundation said:
“Stepney Bank Stables project provided an invaluable opportunity for these young people to improve their life chances and discover a pathway into a fulfilling career. Not only do they gain an official qualification but as part of the process, they help to develop their ‘soft skills’ such as leadership, problem solving and communication”.
Sara Newson, Centre Manager at Stepney Bank Stables said:
“Funding enabled young people to access accredited training which is a vital first step towards an equestrian career. Two young people who were supported through the funding have been out of education for the whole of secondary school. Gaining an equestrian qualification not only provides a pathway to employment but also a huge boost to self-esteem for young people whose self-image is very negative. Training also supported young people to develop confidence, communication and teamwork skills”.
For the young people taking part, the feedback was hugely positive with one saying: “[it] helped me work better with horses and people” and another that, “as well as helping my teamwork skills it also helped my independence and self-esteem. I’m more confident talking to strangers and have found interacting with others beneficial to my own skills”.
The five young people have gone on to become volunteer mentors at SBS. They will help to support and train other young people, on a peer-to-peer basis helping less-experienced young volunteers to work safely and confidently. This will also help expand SBS’ pool of volunteers.
This has extra significance given a recent report from The British Horse Society (BHS) that highlights concerns about the future of equestrianism, noting that eight riding schools have closed in the North East since 2018 and a lack of qualified staff is cited as one of the reasons. There is a risk that the sport will become inaccessible for people from low-income households and so support of riding charities and having a group of qualified volunteers becomes even more important.