BODSTER EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING

Whispering Ponies, People’s Project campaign support

Another Island start up we have supported. Bodster Equine Assisted Learning Centre is a community interest company which helps people to develop a range of skills to improve self-esteem, stimulate social interaction and build confidence and wellbeing in a supervised environment with horses.

Bodster developed a project called ‘Whispering Ponies’ to offer equine therapy sessions for people who are less able to get to the centre, typically older people in residential homes or day care centres.

They often have dementia and are socially isolated and they get to interact with Bodster ponies in their home. Local schools are encouraged to join them, when appropriate, in order to foster young people’s understanding of dementia.

Bodster needed funding in order to do this work – and a horse box. They approached JGM Design for campaign support.

Together we designed and developed a plan including copywriting the applications and

designing and printing marketing collateral such as t-shirts and horse flysheet, posters, flyers, postcards, email campaign, website page and social marketing campaign. Tiptoe, one of the Bodster ponies who particularly enjoys meeting the public, went to meet people at local venues including supermarkets, leisure centres and organised walks to share the project with Isle of Wight residents. Jo and Giles were featured on various local radio shows prior to Tiptoe’s public engagements in order to

broadcast their plan. Tiptoe public engagements were live-streamed on social media.

Meridian TV made a short documentary about each of the finalists which was broadcast on ITV.

Whispering Ponies won their funding request of £48,335 and were overall winners by quite a considerable margin.

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