A PORTHMADOG charity that uses ‘horse-whispering’ to help youngsters boost their confidence is in the running for a community grant which will help them open up their own equestrian centre.

WITH (Welsh Institute of Therapeutic Horsemanship), near Morfa Bychan, runs projects that give disadvantaged young people access to horses ito improve their communication skills and wellbeing.

The charity has already helped several young people from the Dwyfor and Meirionnydd area and has featured on Children in Need after being awarded a grant of £97,500.

Now the charity is hoping to secure funding of £10,000 to £25,000, from the Aviva Community Fund and is appealing for community support.

Iain Crosbie, director of operations at WITH, said: “There is a real need for a community equestrian centre in north Wales that offers services to socially and economically disadvantaged people who might never normally have the opportunity to spend time around horses or access the natural environment and that can also act as a meeting place for local people and organisations to network and support with one another."

Iain said the new centre would enable them to increase their beneficiary numbers, expand their beneficiary group, reach beneficiaries from a wider geographical area, develop their services and offer new equestrian, educational and recreational activities.

The charity currently helps approximately 60 young people each year, but with a larger centre it would mean they could help more than 250 local people every year.

To help the charity secure their funding you can vote for them by visiting https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/voting/project/view/16-1367#0

Read the full story in this week’s north editions of the Cambrian News