Partnerships and Affliations
At Conquest Centre we are lucky enough to work in partnership with a number of external organisations. Details of these partnerships can be found below.
Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset & Wiltshire Community Rehabilitation Company
Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Community Rehabilitation Company (BGSW CRC) brings together three of the most innovative and high achieving probation trusts in the country. Their work plays a vital role in helping people rehabilitate and lead more positive lives. This reduces reoffending, reduces the number of victims of crime, restores communities and saves taxpayers millions of pounds. (The National Audit Office estimates that reoffending costs this country over £10 billion every year). They help people move away from crime by helping them recover from addiction to drugs and alcohol, move towards healthier lifestyles, find somewhere to live and get back to work.
At Conquest Centre, we have many ongoing maintenance tasks onsite that are undertaken by the team from BGSW CRC, from painting to poo picking, which provides us with invaluable support.
British Horse Society (BHS)
The BHS work tirelessly for every horse, rider and carriage driver, focusing on horse welfare, horse and rider safety, access and rights of way, education and examinations, and working with the proprietors of riding schools, livery yards and trekking centres to maintain the highest standards. We are a BHS approved riding school which offers accredited British Horse Society Training. We offer BHS approved riding tuition, practical experience, BHS Stage 1 training and Progressive Test 1 – 6 coaching and assessment. BHS training is open to students of all abilities. Please get in touch with Jess Dixon if you would like to discuss course fees and availability.
Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA)
Following many years of operating as an RDA Centre, Conquest Centre became an independent charity in 2015. We are accredited with the Accessibility Mark. Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), in partnership with Hoof (the British Equestrian Federation’s participation initiative) launched Accessibility Mark to encourage more people into the world of horse riding and its therapeutic benefits. Operating as an independent charity with the Accessibility Mark enables Conquest Centre to benefit from partnership with the RDA, whilst offering a wider range of activities and therapies.
Horse Boy
Instructor Chantal Bannister is a certified 3 Star Horse Boy Practitioner, and is trained to back ride at canter. The Horse Boy Method was pioneered as a child-led way of helping to gain communication with non-verbal children with Autism, by Rupert Isaacson (author of New York Times best-seller ‘The Horse Boy’). At Conquest Centre, we have found this method useful for children with a broad range of disabilities. Back riding is also very useful for children who are unable to sit unsupported, because it allows the instructor to provide full support until the child has developed sufficient muscle strength. Chantal continues to train regularly with Rupert, and sometimes his travels bring him to Conquest Centre for a visit.
If you would like to learn more about the Horse Boy Method, visit their website Horse Boy World or email Chantal, who co-ordinates these types of sessions at Conquest Centre.
Prospects
The Prospects Group provides tailored education, employment, training and care products and services for people at all stages of life. Each year Prospects inspires more than 500,000 people to develop their potential and transform their lives. More than 1,400 professional and skilled colleagues provide practical support to local communities based both across the UK and internationally. Prospects support Conquest Centre by sending their colleagues to volunteer here, providing support for our Centre whilst gaining practical work experience to help aid future employment.
Campbell Page
Campbell Page are all about getting the UK working. They help people in difficult situations overcome personal challenges and find employment. They offer advice and guidance with getting things back on track, completing education, gaining work, learning skills and finding and keeping the right job. Conquest Centre provide volunteer training and support for Campbell Page’s colleagues, to help them gain the skills and confidence needed in order to return to the workplace. This provides invaluable volunteers for Conquest Centre, who do everything from helping to look after the horses to maintaining the fences.
Somerset Short Breaks Team
Somerset Short Breaks Team (Somerset’s Disabled Children and Young People’s Service) offer a range of support. We believe that the basic needs for disabled children are no different from those of any other child but we recognise that some disabled children have additional needs, or face additional barriers which inhibit and prevent their inclusion in society and it is those children, that the Disabled Children and Young People’s Service endeavours to support.
The team works closely with colleagues in the health and Special Educational Needs services, including Conquest Centre, providing funding that allows us to run special activities during the holidays for disabled children.
THE NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMUNITY FUND
Thanks to National Lottery players we are receiving invaluable support for our work from The National Lottery Community Fund
DISABILITY CONFIDENT EMPLOYER
We are passionate about your abilities, and not just when it comes to horses. Conquest Centre is a registered Disability Confident Employer, which means we seek potential in individuals regardless of disability or illness. You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme here. If you are interested in seeking employment at Conquest Centre, please email our Centre Manager, Jess Dixon: jess@conquestcentre.org.uk.
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE (ICO)
Conquest Centre is committed to protecting your personal information, whether you are a rider, volunteer, visitor or competitor. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. If you would like to know more about our policies about data protection, please contact the Centre Manager, Jess Dixon. You can also read more on the ICO website.
