President: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
Patrons: Ronke Phillips, Jay Rayner, Valerie Shawcross CBE

Ebony children having riding lessons courtesy of Coach House Riding School

What we do

Ebony Horse Club is a charity that helps to improve the life skills, education and attainment of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people growing up in Brixton, South London, by providing access to horse riding, outdoor activities and mentoring. Ebony uses access to horses and riding to teach five key social skills: punctuality, regular attendance, commitment to improvement, team work and exam preparation.

Horse Riding

We provide children in the Coldharbour Ward horse riding lessons throughout the academic year and during school holidays, except summer. Groups are split between beginners, intermediates and seniors. Our experienced riders get to ride in the Brecon Beacons for a three day residential trip.

Rowing

In addition to riding the children also take part in rowing camps. In 2008 our children, representing Lambeth, came first in the London Youth Regatta Games.

Educational Visits

Each child goes on two educational visits per term. Recently we have taken children to the International Horse Show at Hickstead, Blenheim Horse Trials, The British Racing School and the International Horse Show at Olympia.

Youth Work

Ebony has a programme of growing its own youth workers. We currently have five youth workers who have grown up with Ebony and who help support the Director in organising and running activities for the children. Through our youth work scheme young people gain practical training and qualifications.

Mentoring

As we work with children experiencing particularly negative challenges at home and in school, we provide extensive mentoring to children most in need. With involvement of community partners, schools and families we work with children who can most benefit from the positive changes that horses and learning to ride can bring.

Founding Ebony

Ebony Horse Club emerged out of the Accra Youth and Football Club in 1996 when Ros Spearing organised horse riding lessons for four children living on the Moorlands Estate in Brixton.

As a resident on the Moorlands Estate Ros Spearing, now Director of Ebony, witnessed first hand the lack of activities, youth crime and negative challenges faced by local children.

Understanding the therapeutic benefits, especially in raising self-confidence and improving social interaction, and the alternative environment that horse riding could bring to inner city children, Ros raised funds to take children from the estate horse riding. Ebony has been growing ever since. The work and mentoring Ebony provides now extends to approximately 90 children a year.

Ros intended Ebony to be for children who were experiencing significant difficulties and challenges. We continue to offer mentoring to children who are at threat of exclusion, in care, coping with bereavement, have learning difficulties and lifelong development disabilities such as ADHD, autism and Aspergers Syndrome. In the majority of cases our children experience not one but two or three negative situations at the same time.

Ebony became a registered charity in September 2006. We are also a Public Company Limited by Guarantee constituted by our Memorandum and Articles of Association. Overall strategy and planning is overseen by a volunteer Management Committee. Day to day administration and mentoring of children is managed by Ros Spearing who is supported by a part-time administrator and full-time Development Campaign Officer.