Rochelle supported by Diverse Abilities Plus with Elfin
Diverse Abilities Plus, the Dorset charity that supports children and adults with profound physical and learning disabilities across the county, has welcomed Shetland therapy pony Elfin to the team.
The charity is asking the local Dorset community to donate just £10 via www.localgiving.com to help support Diverse Abilities fund the therapy pony, enabling children and adults to care for her and reap the benefits that animal therapy provides.
By donating £10 via Localgiving, the real funds available for Diverse Abilities will be £20 (£22.50 including gift aid) and will provide almost enough monies to fund Elfin for a day. This is part of the organisation’s ‘Grow Your Tenner’ campaign.
A therapy pony can assist those with disabilities by giving them greater confidence and self esteem, build trust, create a sense of achievement, improved communication and self expression, improved attention and lots of fun and laughter.
Elfin has been trained to work with people with special needs; for grooming, petting, and decorating. She has an outstanding temperament, is calm, friendly, enjoys affection and doesn’t kick or bite.
It costs just £25 to fund the pony therapy for a day. The majority of the cost is to support people to access Elfin (82%) while central costs of supporting the therapy work is nine per cent and direct therapy pony costs which include stabling, vet bills, feeding, equipment, hay etc, is eight per cent.
Jenny Pearce, Communications Manager at Diverse Abilities Plus, said: “Children and adults supported by Diverse Abilities visit Elfin regularly at her home at Holton Lee, near Wareham, and the benefits of this are unbelievable. If the local community can lend a hand and spare just £10, this will really help us and we can provide the opportunity for more adults and children we support to spend time with Elfin and benefit from this type of animal therapy.”
To donate to Diverse Abilities Plus please visit www.localgiving.com/charity/diverseabilities. For further information about the charity visit www.diverseabilitiesplus.org.uk or call 01202 718266.
