Hairy Henry Educational Trust
The Hairy Henry Educational Trust was formed in July 2024. It is a legal trust, however does not have charitable status (yet).
Purpose
The purpose of this trust is to manage and oversee the handling of any donations or gifts given toward the edcational programme 'Giddy Up & Go'.
There are currently no government grants available to cover the cost of these sort of initiatives, so donations are vital for the success of this programme.
Educational programme
The programme has the aim to support children aged 12-16 years, who struggle in school, with an educational initiative, in order to boost their self-esteem, sense of purpose, motivation to learn, sense of achievement, and to help children gain a positive experience of learning and developing skills. The programme offers children the opportunity to learn about horses, their care, horse handling and basic riding skills at their own pace in a child-centred supportive environment, working towards an educational award which can be used as a stepping stone back into education and career choice.
The programme director is Sandra Schmid who will run the programme together with an assistant.
See more here:
Giddy up & Go Educational Programme
Distribution of funds
There will be a set fee per child to participate in the programme which will be partly covered by the trust money with the remainder to be contributed by the parent/carer of the child. The fee will cover tutors' costs, overheads, insurance, exam fees.
Trustees will oversee the payment of such costs.
Timeframe
It is hoped that the programme will run every year over 12 weeks part-time on 2 week day mornings from March to June.
Currently, fundraising for the 2027 programme is underway.
Donations
Money can be donated directly in cash or cheque to the
Trust account with Bantry Credit Union:
IBAN IE08BNRU99218911144122
BIC BNRUIE21
Or you can donate via our Gofundme page:
Purpose
The purpose of this trust is to manage and oversee the handling of any donations or gifts given toward the edcational programme 'Giddy Up & Go'.
There are currently no government grants available to cover the cost of these sort of initiatives, so donations are vital for the success of this programme.
Educational programme
The programme has the aim to support children aged 12-16 years, who struggle in school, with an educational initiative, in order to boost their self-esteem, sense of purpose, motivation to learn, sense of achievement, and to help children gain a positive experience of learning and developing skills. The programme offers children the opportunity to learn about horses, their care, horse handling and basic riding skills at their own pace in a child-centred supportive environment, working towards an educational award which can be used as a stepping stone back into education and career choice.
The programme director is Sandra Schmid who will run the programme together with an assistant.
See more here:
Giddy up & Go Educational Programme
Distribution of funds
There will be a set fee per child to participate in the programme which will be partly covered by the trust money with the remainder to be contributed by the parent/carer of the child. The fee will cover tutors' costs, overheads, insurance, exam fees.
Trustees will oversee the payment of such costs.
Timeframe
It is hoped that the programme will run every year over 12 weeks part-time on 2 week day mornings from March to June.
Currently, fundraising for the 2027 programme is underway.
Donations
Money can be donated directly in cash or cheque to the
Trust account with Bantry Credit Union:
IBAN IE08BNRU99218911144122
BIC BNRUIE21
Or you can donate via our Gofundme page:
Trustees
The trust has 6 trustees who oversee the managing and distribution of funds.
Trustees will meet either in person or online four times a year.
All trust money is held in an account with Bantry Credit Union.
Chairperson - Christine Keck
Christine has volunteered for the Hairy Henry Care Farm for many years and is actively involved with the horses on the farm.
Secretary - Nicky Van Woerden
Nicky has been part of the volunteering team at Hairy Henry's for a couple of years, giving a helping hand with camps and sessions, animal care and the many other jobs around the farm.
Treasurer - Christine Meadows
Christine has been volunteering with Hairy Henry's since 2022 as an outreach assistant on visits to nursing homes and schools.
Lynn Dixon
Lynn has lived and worked and reared children in West Cork over the past 30 years. Having worked alongside Sandra for many years she is delighted to be part of this initiative to provide more children the opportunity to reap the benefits of the Hairy Henry service.
Sandra Schmid
Sandra started up Hairy Henry Care Farm in 2013 as a Social Enterprise. She currently runs the therapeutic and educational sessions at the farm and oversees the care of the animals and the management of the yard. Her background is in Social Work and Education. She is passionate about her animals and her work. Whenever she can't be found around the barn, she is probably riding into the sunset with one of her beloved horses.
Christine O'Keeffe
Christine's background is in mental health nursing. Her children have been attending sessions at Hairy Henry's for years. She understands the value of therapy animals in the health care setting and the importance of support for children and teenagers outside of the school setting. She hopes that this educational initiative will help children to grow confidence and promote well being in a calm environment, while also learning the care needs of animals.
