Hope Pastures rescue ponies visit children at Yeadon Westfield Infant School in Leeds

Pupils at Yeadon Westfield Infant School, in Westfield Grove, got to meet Sago and Freddie, horses from the equine rescue centre, Hope Pastures, in Weetwood.

The children were treated to a two hour long visit, where they got to interact with them and learn more about how to look after horses.

It is part of Manning Stainton' s Schools Support Fund, a £10,000 support scheme it launched in early 2021 to help support schools and pupils affected by months of Covid-related disruption.

Mrs Sharp, a teacher at Yeadon Westfield, said: “On behalf of all our children, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Manning Stainton for making this fantastic experience possible, and to Hope Pastures for bringing the animals into the school.

“We are hugely passionate about providing activities that increase the wellbeing of our children, and this special visit was a really enriching experience. It’s not every day that two ponies arrive in the playground, and the children enjoyed every single minute of their time with them.”

Matthew Pank, manager of Manning Stainton’s Guiseley branch, added: “We’re delighted to see our donations being used to fund such fantastic experiences for school children.

“We set up the schools support scheme to help schools across the region purchase equipment and experiences that will enhance their pupils’ educations, and we’ve seen so many schools like Yeadon Westfield using our donations in really creative and inspiring ways.”