Donate to our appeal : Help unlock discovery for vulnerable children stuck on waiting lists
What is happening in The Education System?
The SEND system is on a course of total collapse with waiting lists growing and local authorities facing serious financial deficits. The wait for an autism or ADHD diagnosis is a significant problem across the country, and many people are waiting for months or even years. The problem is not short-term: The number of people waiting for an assessment has been rising. Thousands of vulnerable young people are being left waiting for a diagnoses and missing out on funding for early intervention support that could transform their lives.
X said she could tell she needed to be more reassuring to Red as he wasn’t as brave and that she knew she had to be more confident for him to mirror her energy
How can HorseWorld Discovery help?
HorseWorld Discovery is one of those interventions that can help young people, and wants to help more young people sooner. But desperately needs funding for bursary places so it can help the children without funding who are lost on waiting lists.
Each bursary will fund a six-week placement on the charity’s Discovery programme where specially trained gentle rescued horses and qualified facilitators help children discover trust, calm and curiosity, and re-engage with learning beyond the classroom.
For nearly two decades, this pioneering alternative learning programme has quietly transformed the lives of more than 3,000 children and young people who have struggled with mainstream education or who face significant social, educational and economic disadvantage – including young people referred via the Police Violence Reduction Programme or who have experienced child sexual exploitation and trauma.
How will my donation help?
Every week, we see the difference Discovery makes. A bursary doesn’t just fund a course – it gives a reason to believe in themselves again. Children who had stopped speaking start to communicate again, their confidence returns, anxiety eases and hope returns, allowing them to re-engage with education. Early intervention is key. We have the programme, the team and the horses to support, but we urgently need funds to help more. Please help us make sure no child is turned away whilst they wait for the system to catch up.
X's confidence has grown remarkably. She now approaches new challenges with a more positive and willing attitude, even in areas that she previously found difficult. X has shown great determination and enthusiasm in giving all activities a go. This willingness to try a fantastic step forward reflects her growing self-belief.
Your donation can help fund Bursary places at HorseWorld Discovery lifting a child out of the needless waiting lists and helping them start to unlock their life potential.
As local authority funding continues to shrink and waiting lists for SEND diagnoses and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) get ever longer, more at-risk children and young people are slipping through the cracks and missing out on the early support that could change their futures, your help is needed more now than ever.
How can I help?
You could be the lifeline for a child who is struggling.
£175
Could give one child the chance to thrive by joining a 6-week group course.
£500
Could help three young people find hope, confidence, and the tools to turn their lives around.
£1,500
Could provide specialist 1-to-1 help, giving them the life skills to return to mainstream education and to a brighter future.