Students from Gloucestershire’s Hartpury University raise nearly £1k for us! 

Saranna Jordan, Hartpury’s module leader for Professional Development and Influence in the Equestrian Sector, selected The Mare and Foal Sanctuary as ‘charity of the year’ for her first-year students’ fundraising skills project last year. Saranna says: ‘I hoped the students would raise around £500 from their fundraising activities and feel very proud of the energy and passion they’ve poured into the project, almost doubling our target.  

 ‘The Mare & Foal Sanctuary was our choice for the fundraiser because we can all get behind the great work that the charity does. It is very sad that not all equines are afforded the same quality of care and sometimes it is necessary for horses and ponies to be rescued. Obviously, these situations require financial intervention. The charity does not discriminate; all breeds, shapes and sizes are cared for, all of which comes at a price. But this is why it was so appealing to the cohort, as despite coming from a variety of programmes at Hartpury; Equine Business, Equine Behaviour & Welfare and International Horseracing Business, the Mare & Foal Sanctuary appealed to us because it doesn’t matter where we come from, the uniting factor is that we all speak the same language…horse!’ 

Hartpury University has a proud association with the Devon-based Mare and Foal Sanctuary through one of its Associate Professors, Dr Jane Williams, Head of Research, who’s a trustee of the Sanctuary. Equine education and sharing best practice is one of the cornerstones of the Sanctuary’s work and as part of the collaboration it has offered an internship to one of Hartpury’s students this summer. 

 Dawn Vincent The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s Director of Fundraising and Communications has given a lecture session to the students on how to create a fundraising strategy and has shared stories with them about the welfare mission of the charity. Dawn says: ‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to the students and staff for such a fantastic team effort to raise funds for us. Every pound raised makes a big difference and allows us to care for the nearly 600 horses and ponies who currently have sanctuary for life with us.  

‘I’ve really enjoyed spending time at Hartpury and passing on some professional industry insights. Working in animal welfare and fundraising brings plenty of challenges, so anyone choosing employment in this sector needs dedication and resilience. Equally, a career with a growing charity like The Mare and Foal Sanctuary is extremely rewarding. Our team members are so passionate about their work, they live for our horses and ponies and strive to deliver the very best care possible. We offer non-judgemental advice and support to equine owners and also provide Equine Assisted Services to help people who may be struggling in life to develop strong connections with our rescued ponies. It’s great to be able to share our stories and expertise with young people who’ll be continuing this vital work in the future.’