Rein & Shine Gains Lottery Funding 

Sport England boost for local equestrian centre

 

Riding facilities in Swindon have received a terrific boost from Sport England.

The team at Hoof Club CIC (Community Interest Company), based at Rein & Shine Equestrian Centre are thrilled to announce they have secured £68,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.

 

Hoof Club CIC, a not for profitorganisation, offers riding and horse welfare training from aged 4 years old,to the entire community, including the opportunity for special educationalneeds children to have access through their schools at discounted rates.

 

Since 2011, Inspired Facilities has been helping breathe new life into tired community sports facilities and converting existing buildings into venues suitable for grassroots sport. This grant has been awarded alongside partnership funding from Rein & Shine Ltd and will be used to expand the extremely popular Hoof Club programme. It will involve converting a disused farm building into a training centre comprising an accessible classroom, clubroom and office. Restroom facilities will also be upgraded.

 

Free taster sessions

The facility will become a cornerstone for the Special Educational Needs (SEN) community and can offer immediate free taster sessions to SEN/D departments of schools and colleges.

Hoof Club CIC director, John McDonald, said: “Our Hoof Club has been widely embraced by the local community and we’ve attracted over 100 members in the last two-years. However, limited facilities have restricted any further growth.

 

"There is a large untapped demand for equine training which has been evidenced via local councillors, special needs school advisers and the local community. The initiative has also gained support from our local MP partly due to the planned increase in employment that this facility will generate.”

Work is set to commence at the end of this year and anyone interested in riding and equine training including schools, colleges and individuals can start applying for courses immediately.