A REDEVELOPED pet farm and horse riding centre in a facility for the visually impaired on Dublin’s northside is helping break down barriers between service users and the local community.
The more than 100-year-old red brick wall that surrounds the 20-acre facility at ChildVision, the National Education Centre for Blind Children on Gracepark Road in Drumcondra, is no longer a signal of exclusion for the locals. Its gates are open and facilities including a pet farm, garden centre, coffee shop and gardens are attracting adults and children.
Despite an overcast and chilly day when we visited at the weekend, the centre was busy. Local children were taking horse riding lessons with instructor Eleanor Jane Hayes, volunteers were mucking out the stables, families were visiting the petting farm, and staff at the coffee shop and outdoor brick pizza oven were getting ready for a children’s birthday party.
The 12 horses at the centre are used for equine therapy during the week: children from the schools on campus, formerly known as St Joseph’s, take lessons under the supervision of instructors and an occupational therapist. At the weekends and after school, local children and some adults get lessons in the centre’s outdoor arena.
Chief executive of ChildVision, Brian Allen, said the horses were picked for their calm and gentle natures. Some of the visually impaired children have multiple disabilities including autism and could not cope with animals that were not stable. “We’ve rejected quite a few,” he said.
The Garda Mounted Unit helped vet the animals, as well as advising on the facilities and care they would need. Farm outbuildings in granite and red brick were renovated to accommodate the horses. Local children who get riding lessons also learn how to look after the horses. Some volunteer at the centre, mucking out and grooming as well as taking care of other animals at the petting farm, which include baby goats from Dublin Zoo, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and turkeys, along with an aviary with musical canaries and noisy budgerigars.
Herbaceous borders with bright flowers and raised beds with sensory planting surround a seating area, where parents can relax while their children explore. The garden centre sells perennials, vegetable plants and hanging baskets in season, with many of the plants grown on site in polytunnels.
There is no charge into the facilities, which are 10 minutes from the city centre, though horse riding costs €20 for a shared lesson and there is a waiting list. There are plans to sell products such as jams, made as part of vocational training in the centre. There are also plans for future events including cookery demonstrations, wine tasting and a Halloween experience. Mr Allen said it was a work in progress.
They had looked at similar models in the UK and had seen the benefits for both schools and communities.
“We want this place to become a hub of activity for local people,” he said. “At the same time, we want people to have a better understanding of what we do here and a better understanding of the visually impaired.”
