We need your help - urgently!
Who we are: We are a team of inner-city horse lovers who are on a mission to bring horses and ponies back to the city of Liverpool!
What we do: In April 2017 we launched the Park Palace Ponies starter riding school, with the aim of bringing the mental and physical benefits that being around ponies can bring, to inner city children. Our aim is to continue to provide inner city riding for children and their families who have not been able to continue. We have seen first hand the incredible benefits that being around ponies has brought to so many young people.
Why are we crowdfunding? Five years later, over 3,000 inner city children aged 4-10 have completed our learn to ride pony course and can now ride up to trot off lead rein. The usual path would be for these riders to continue their riding journey at one of the full sized riding schools across Merseyside. However, we have reached a point where there are no local riding schools with any availability. Coupled with the increasing number of closures and demolitions of Merseyside riding schools for housing estates, we have a huge number of riders who have nowhere to continue their riding journey.
How has covid impacted us? Unfortunately covid has massively hindered our ability to raise funds for a full size riding school over the last two years. Alongside this, we have found that many of our local riding schools have closed due to the impact that covid has had on their businesses. This means that there are so many riders with nowhere to continue their riding journeys. Walkers' Woods acts as a response to this providing a space for riders to continue following their passions.
Following discussions with a sympathetic lane supportive land owner, we have the opportunity to open a pop-up full-sized riding school with 8 horses, with the possibility of expansion in the future, with a right to buy clause.
We have tried to raise this money through public grants and discussions with our local council, but unfortunately this has come to nothing.
We now have until the 22nd of May to raise £75,000. This is £30,000 for a one year lease of the land and buildings, and £45,000 to build stables, an arena and convert the garage into offices and storage.
Park Palace Ponies currently operates as a social enterprise, managed by a group of voluntary directors. Walkers' Woods will be ran in exactly the same way. Park Palace Ponies has brought so much joy to our local community and has challenged existing beliefs that horses and ponies belong in the countryside.
We really need your help to fulfil our mission to continue to make horses and ponies commonplace in the city of Liverpool once again!
Please pledge, if you are able, and share widely!
Please note that we have extended our project deadline until 8th June! Please keep pledging and sharing!