Local Charities ‘massively impacted during Covid’ -Nancy Duckett, The Langley Academy

A prime example of this is the Windsor Horse Rangers. The Windsor Horse Rangers is a children’s charity which aims to educate young people about all aspects of horse riding and care. Despite being primarily a children’s charity, the organisations top priority is animal welfare.

The non-profit organisation works with children ages 8-18, who might not otherwise have access to horses, and gives them opportunities to work with these animals. 4 sessions are run weekly, 2 on a Saturday, one for Juniors and one for seniors, and the same for the Sunday. Not only are these children given the opportunity to ride horses but to learn how to care for them, doing things like grooming and stable management. The charity also teach children theory including anatomy and saddle points. There are 23 horses owned by the Rangers, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s old horse, mostly they are adopted retired horses.

Charities such as this are vital, as they allow for children to have access to horses regardless of their financial background, as riding lessons and owning a horse is incredibly expensive. It is important that children are able to have contact with horses along with other animals as it is proven to be beneficial for mental health, having a calming effect when it comes to anxiety and other mental health issues. It also allows for the children to develop key social skills for later life, such as working as a team and listening to one another, as well as to take and give orders. All of which is useful in later life, particularly in the workplace.

A volunteer at the Windsor Horse Rangers said that the charity had been “massively impacted during covid with our fundraising.”

The charity relies on monthly subs which go towards upkeep, but also fundraising and volunteer workers. While over Covid, most of the children’s families were able to keep giving their monthly subs, despite unfortunately not being able to attend their sessions, not all were, and fundraising was wiped. The organisation also no longer got any money from the cafeteria where people used to buy food, or from uniform sales which brough in a substantial amount of money.

Even a year and a half after the last lockdown the charity is “still getting back on its feet” as one volunteer said “and any support is gratefully received.”. The Windsor Horse Rangers take donations in the form of money via ‘PayPal’ and ‘Just Giving’, as well as equipment such as saddles. They are currently raising money for their menage as it has poor drainage and is often flooded in heavy rain.

Charities such as these are hugely important within the community, as they offer such special opportunities for children who might otherwise not have access to horses. So it is vital that people in the community do what they can to support them.