A community group on the Isle of Wight, which supports the Island’s ageing dementia population through equine assisted learning, has received a cheque for almost £50,000 after successfully winning this year’s The People’s Project.
Bodster CIC, based in Sandford on the outskirts of Godshill, was 1 of 5 groups in the running to receive the money as part of ITV Meridian West’s annual competition. They were announced as the winners during Thursday’s ITV Meridian programme.
Bodster will now use the grant money to offer equine therapy sessions for older people in residential homes and day care centres. The ‘Whispering Ponies’ project will work with people with dementia and those who are socially isolated to encourage interaction with their ponies.
Part of the £50,000 will be used to enable Bodster to buy its own small horsebox so that they do not need to borrow or rent, and therefore can visit more residences and develop new visits such as to Macmillan cancer hospice and other community facilities. Other parts of the grant will be used for staffing costs and to train more volunteers.
Jo Boddington has said:
“Massive thank you to everyone who voted for Whispering Ponies – it’s amazing to have won!
“Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to help us get votes – both on the Island and on the mainland. It shows how a community and people pull together”.
