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Lords House Farm's NPTC students finished
their final term with a graduation ceremony.
Student of the Year Animal Care was Amy Lynn while Lois
Hedworth was the Most Improved Student.
In pony care, David Rawcliffe was Student of the Year while
Charlotte Astley was Most Improved Student of the Year.
Patty Clark was judged Support Worker of the Year by the
pony care students and Deborah Barrett was Support Worker of
the Year, animal care.
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NPTC Pony Care Class 2008 |
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NPTC Animal Care Class
2008 |
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Go Ahead - Get A Hat! |
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Patty Clark - Support
Worker of the Year |
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Chief Executive Mary Walker also gave out
certificates to participants of the recent
European Social Fund project 'Natural
Progression', Grants 4 Growth project 'Snakes
Alive and LAA grant project Horse Power to
People Power. |
The Easter Bunny visited Lords House Farm over the Easter
break and gave out eggs to visiting children. The eggs had
been donated by Asda, Accrington after they held an Easter
Egg appeal in the store.
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The Easter Bunny Visits Lords House Farm |
Eight Staff and students at Lords House Farm have
achieved their NPTC Health & Safety with Horses
qualification and as a result Lords House Farm has
become an approved training centre for Warwickshire
College.
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David with his study file and Jordan with the
plaque presented by the college. |
Lords House Farm entered a float in this year’s Accrington Carnival and won
first place in the non-trade category again! The theme of the parade this year
was Serving the Community and as this is what Lords House Farm does we did a
float about ourself! Horticulture Support Assistant Leslie Downes spent weeks in
her workshop with her clients painting, sticking and shaping things to make
animals, tress and flowers to make the float colourful and cheerful. Students
and clients from the centre were on the float to add life and were thrilled to
be part of the team.
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Students and clients on board the finished float |
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Pigs add to the ‘farm’ |
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Victorious crew! |
The system,
worth over £2870, is a world renowned horse massage system
that can help to improve a horse's life, fitness and
performance. Developed by Niagara Healthcare, the system
comprises of three individual products. The Equissage system
has been used by many leading equestrians and because of the
therapy work that the horses and ponies at Lords House Farm
carry out by carrying people who are not able to balance due
to their disabilities, which can mean the horses may have
difficulty carrying clients and put a strain on their backs
and muscles, the system is ideal to ensure their fitness and
well being.
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Mary Walker CEO, Lords House Farm,
receives the system from Debbie Sykes,
Niagara Equissage sale agent watched by future
equine recipient of the treatment, Welsh pony,
Babe and groom Charlotte Jones |
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Charlotte and Babe with (standing
Leslie Bain regional sales manager for
Niagara Equissage, Mary Walker, CEO Lords
House Farm and Debbie Sykes, Niagara
Equissage sales agent |
Equissage is unique in that it is the
only custom built machine designed for equines and delivers
unique ‘Cycloid’ massage with a hand massage unit, or with a
massage pad, easily secured by a breast and belly girth and
D rings. ‘Cycloid’ massage was originally developed for
humans and incorporates a unique three way massage which
helps to stimulate circulation to affected areas and
encourages the healing process for common conditions such as
haematomas, pulled ligaments and swellings and so therefore
can also be used to help the human clients that attend for
therapy.
CAITLIN Fordham from Langho
picked up the Youngest Volunteer award at The
Hyndburn and Ribble Valley ‘Oscars’ held at
Accrington Town Hall on Friday 8 June.
A pupil at Ribblesdale High School, Caitlin is a
volunteer at Lords House Farm. Five other members of
the Lords House Farm volunteer team also picked up
awards at the ceremony which honoured volunteers
with organisations across Hyndburn and Ribble
Valley. Amber Smith, 2nd prize – overcoming personal
adversity; Malcolm Clark, 3rd prize – personal
achievement; Margaret Totty, 3rd Prize –oldest
volunteer; Linda Castle, 3rd prize – cheeriest
volunteer; Anita Knagg, nominated in longest serving
volunteer.
Volunteers are always welcome at Lords House Farm.
Anyone wishing to become a volunteer should contact
volunteer co-ordinator, Kath Thacker on 01254
877400.
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Caitlin receives
her award from Steve Proctor from 4Youth |
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| Proud mum, Anne
Taylor, with
Caitlin |
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| Caitlin
(2nd from left, back row) with other volunteers
from Lords House Farm and equine therapy manager
June Proctor (back left) and Volunteer
co-ordinator Kath Thacker
(2nd from right back row) |
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| Caitlin
with Malcolm Clark,
Linda Castle and Anita Knagg |
The American Quarter Horse Association, which is a
national organisation which embraces the western style of
riding, held trail rides to raise funds for Lords House
Farm.
Lewis Stuttard from the Association is pictured here
presenting Chief Executive of Lords House Farm, Mary Walker,
with a cheque for £847 watched by the centre’s pony,
Crackerjaque.
The Llamas from Lords House Farm took part in a sponsored
walk to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis Trust and also for
our own charity. 67 adults and children took part in the 10k
walk around Rishton on 13 May 07. Total money raised has not
been added up yet but one lady raised £1000 on her own!
The awards were held at the Canberra Club, BAe
Systems (thank you to the Sports & Social Club for
allowing us to use the facilities again) on 28
January 2007.
Certificates and awards gained over the last twelve
months were presented by Chairman of the Trustees:
Raj Fowler. Certificates included NVQ 1 Animal Care
and BHS NVQ1 Horse Care as well as AQA certificates
in range of subjects from Horticulture to Autumn.
Trophies were awarded
for Greatest Personal
Achievement in each
department.
The winners were:
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Greatest
Personal Achievement Fun on the
Farm Animal Therapy - Sam
Neville. |
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Greatest Personal Achievement
Fun on the Farm Horse Riding –
James O’Connor. |
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Sam Neville
also wins the Little Achiever of the
Year award and receives the
Steven Binns Memorial Shield
presented to him by Malcolm
Binns. |
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Greatest Personal Achievement
Horticulture – John Hopwood
who also received the Georgina
Bowell Memorial Shield and
vouchers donated by Georgina’s
mother Pamela |
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Greatest
Personal Achievement Animal Care –
Kirstie Hide |
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Greatest Personal Achievement Horse Care senior award –
Rachel Adamson |
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Greatest
Personal Achievement Horse Care
Junior award – Jade Gidley |
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Senior Volunteers of the Year –
The Fundraising Committee |
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Junior Volunteer of the Year –
Rachel Howson |
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Father Christmas and his Reindeers made an
appearance at our fundraising Grotto night.
Families met Father Christmas and children
received presents before going to see our ‘live’
nativity complete with live Mary, Joseph and
shepherd and real sheep – Button Mutton, goat,
played by Omar and donkeys Harriet and Bart.
They then went to see the kings and their camel-ids
– played very well by the LHF llama herd. Mulled
wine and mince pies were served and the children got
to go and see many of the small animals that live
here.
Staff at Lords House Farm in Rishton got a special
surprise at the weekend with the arrival of a baby
llama! The baby, named Santos – to keep with the
South American theme and it being near to Christmas
– was born to mum, Lil - though no-one knew she was
expecting!
"Our females had been running with the male from
June to December last year and so we would have
expected any young to have been born between May and
July this year," said Karen Hamer, animal care
supervisor at the centre. "Llamas are pregnant for
11 and a half months and once we got past September
we thought the breeding programme had been
unsuccessful!"
Santos will be one of the attractions at Lords House
Farm, Wilpshire Road, Rishton, when the charity
opens its doors for fund raising in December with
Santa’s grotto, complete with real live reindeer and
a live nativity with donkeys, goats, sheep and of
course llamas!
The new fundraising group are holding a Grand
Charity Auction. Saturday March 3rd at Blackburn
Golf Club. Tickets available from the centre.
Donations for auction and raffle appreciated. Among
the items for auction are tickets to Accrington
Stanley, Football shirts, vouchers for meals and one
hours airtime on The B, Burnleys independent radio
station!
On Wednesday 27 December one of the Centre’s Emus,
Rod, was stolen from its enclosure. Thieves dragged
the bird across neighbouring fields before bundling
it in to a wheelie bin and taking it through Great
Harwood. The bin was later recovered from a river
near to the old railway lines.
This was a cruel and unprovoked attack on the
creature which must have suffered horrendous stress.
Police are asking any member of the public or the
perpetrators of this cruel act to come forward and
inform them where the bird is now. It is unlikely
that the bird is alive but any information which
could help police solve this crime is needed.
Whoever did this act also smashed doors on the
animal unit resulting in considerable expense to the
Charity in replacing them.
When Tim Ayres expressed a wish to become a jockey
he had never had any experience with horses and so
his school asked if he could access any form of
training at Lords House Farm.
Eighteen months on and Tim is now a groom at top
trainer, Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank yard in Malton,
North Yorkshire.
After finishing a year doing one day per week on the
Alternative Education programme at the centre, Tim
went on to a 12 week course at the Northern Racing
College, Doncaster, before getting a place at the
Yard. Tim is hoping to get his apprentice jockey
license early in 2007 so keep an eye out for him.
Tim has already appeared on TV leading Richard’s
horses in the parade rings at many of the top race
meetings.
Courageous, industrious and remarkable volunteers
and organisations were honoured by The British Horse
Society at a prestigious awards ceremony in London
in November.
Nominated by Margaret Linington-Payne, Director of
Standards, and Chris Doran, Senior Executive
Approvals, Mary Walker, Chief Executive of Lords
House Farm, has for more than 12 years provided the
opportunity for anyone with a need or disadvantage
in life to experience the benefits of getting close
to nature, horses and other animals. This has helped
develop quality of life, confidence and self-esteem
and, ultimately, the social and practical skills
many youngsters miss out on. It has always been a
BHS-approved establishment and has expanded to
include animal therapy, horticulture and
environmental activities, to a range of
disadvantaged or disabled children and adults. It is
for these reasons Mary Walker was recipient of the
BHS Silver Stirrup Award.
Photo courtesy of GeeGee Images.
Members of Galloways Society for the Blind were
awarded AQA Llama Trekking certificates during a
visit to the House of Commons on October. Members
of Galloways attended Lords House Farm throughout
2006 and learnt about trekking and how to look after
the llamas.
All of the group achieved level 1 AQA while some of
the group went on to achieve both level one and
level two certificates.
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