Cancer is where it all began and we are going back to our roots. If you haven't already grab a cuppa!
We specialise in and really help people living with and beyond cancer by supporting their wellbeing.
For four years our project was very proudly funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and we are eternally grateful. Unfortunately post covid funds had to be spent in primary care and once our initial pilot funding came to an end they weren't able to support us further.
This wasn't to say it wasn't impactful because my gosh it was!!
In only 4 sessions ( that's only 4 hours of working with us and horses!!) overall wellbeing INCREASED by a whopping 22%.
That's not all, clients perceived impact cancer was having on their life REDUCED by 31%!!! (Again in four 1 hour sessions)
Over the course of 4 years we delivered 1300 sessions and managed to expand into 8 different counties; supporting some truly incredible 300 people, many of whom are still with us today absolutely thriving in life but some of whom aren't ( forever in our hearts).
We were in the press a lot, with over 60 pieces of both regional and national coverage, including; Channel 5 national news, daily mail, The I, Daily Express. WOW! You can read up more here or click on the links.
But there's no such thing as endings, just new beginnings and that's why we are here.............
Our Project with Macmillan ended in September 2022 and unfortunately up until now we have had multiple unsuccessful attempts at refunding it through the traditional funding methods and any future possibilities can take up to 6 months to come through. We get enquiries all the time and our waiting list is growing.
So here we are taking matters into our own hands.
What we are asking for help to fund are the session costs to mean we can start to offer people living with and beyond cancer equine assisted interventions again, at no cost to themselves. Reaching our target will mean we can offer services in Derbyshire again for the next 6-7 months whilst waiting on outcomes of funding, anything over our target will mean we can start to add back in services in other locations also and support even more people.
Now we've told you about what we are aiming fund we'll tell you a little about us for anyone that doesn't know us.
Spirit and Soul provides nature based, animal assisted and equine facilitated learning opportunities and therapy using innovative and creative techniques.
We offer a completely different and refreshing way of working. and have a herd of rescued rehomed and rehabilitated horses.
Cancer is the reason it started, as I was diagnosed with triple negative stage 3 breast cancer, like a bolt out of the blue at age 27. Just after starting to get life on 'track' and doing everything as you're 'meant to' you are served an opportunity to look at life from a very different perspective. After multiple operations, ( we won't get too gory i'm sure you know the details!) 6 months of chemotherapy, fertility treatments and just generally people feeling sorry for you I came out the other end. I'm very happy to say that having now passed 5 years in remission, I have been discharged from cancer services ( happy dance and champagne moment!).
For the eagle eyed among you, I hear you asking where an earth does Trevors Fund come into it. Well let me tell you a little story about who Trevor is. Trevor was a 16 hh ex racehorse who came into my life unexpectedly. After various injuries Trevor was a little bit wonky, and not as fit as he once was; however that made no difference to him he was an absolute fighter. One the day I was diagnosed with cancer I went to the barn and Trevor laid down with his head on my legs, stood being watched by his little friend foxy ( who is still with me today) pure moments of calm and processing before we embarked on an adventure neither of us saw coming. Throughout my various operations, hospital appointments and everything else that comes with everyone in life feeling sorry for you; the only one that didn't was Trevor. He gave me my strength, he treated me the same whether I had hair or breasts or anything in a true non judgmental style and never allowed me to feel sorry for myself - ever!. He got me through that part of my life ( and many others to be truthful) and he was the real reason Spirit and Soul was born. To allow others this kind of life changing, non judgmental character building interaction with horses so they can also get their lives back on track and come out of their cancer journey a stronger person than before. So here, his legacy lives on.
I sadly lost Trevor in 2019, but in true Trevor style, we aren't going to be defeated yet we're not ready to give up on continuing to be able to support more people. Trevors fund will not only allow people to access sessions now, but as it grows in the future when we can bring in more funds we hope to mean we can fund places for others all over the UK to be accessing equine assisted sessions if they have cancer.
This is just the starting hurdle, but with your help we know we can jump straight over it.
Thank you from the bottom and mine and Trevors hearts. x