Kirklees service users saddle up thanks to charitable funds
People who use the Kirklees Insight service, which is provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, have been learning about everything equestrian at the Northern Riding Centre in Dewsbury as a result of funding from the Trust’s charity.
Each year the Trust’s charitable fund gives out money to support projects across the Trust. They are not used to fund NHS services, but enable the Trust to provide extras it could not otherwise offer such as riding sessions.
The Kirklees Insight service was awarded funds to provide a horse riding experience for a group of people currently using the Kirklees Insight service.
The Insight service works with people aged 14 and above who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis in the hope of identifying and treating symptoms early to promote recovery.
It is normal for any us to have strange experiences now and then, like hearing noises when we’re very tired but if you experience psychosis other things can develop such as having concerns that everyone can hear your thoughts or physically feeling things that other people can’t.
If psychosis is identified and treated with early intervention individuals can recover, maintain relationships and achieve their aspirations.
As part of the recovery pathway four service users from the Insight service were invited to take part in activities at the Northern Riding Centre to help boost their confidence and improve their ability to socialise.
As part of their day out they took part in a number of horse related activities such as learning how to groom a horse, put its bridle and saddle on and also the basics of how to ride.
The service users who took part were joined by two members of the team, who offered practical support on the day as well as psychological support for those who were understandably nervous.
Support, time and recovery worker Habib Dadhiwala, who facilitated the trip, said, "The day out was only made possible as a result of funding from the Trust’s charitable fund. It was a great opportunity for the services users to be able to take part in a new activity and learn something completely new. As a service we are always looking for new activities that will engage people who use the service and help with their recovery. This was another great example of how we can cater to different interests and look for new ways to improve confidence and social interaction."