11th November, 2016

Patrick Donovan T.D. Minister of State for Tourism and Sport visited Extern’s Limerick Office today (Friday, 11 November), to hear more about the organisation’s innovative Jumping Hurdles Horse Project, which was recently awarded £30K from the national Coca Cola Thank You Fund. The largest recipient of the national fund, the Project is using young people’s love of horses in Limerick City to increase their employment chances, and to counter the culture of criminality in disadvantaged areas.

The Extern project will channel the love of horses among young people in disadvantaged areas of Limerick City and offer them the opportunity of attending a new two-year, part-time programme, which will equip them with the vocational skills needed to gain employment in the equine sector.

In addition the Limerick Jumping Hurdles Horse Project will also enable the participants to develop personal and social skills, and inspire, and support them, to move away from the culture of criminality experienced in some areas of the city. Ten young people will attend the course over the next two years, studying a range of modules from Equine Care and Management to Basic Veterinary for Horses, Shoeing and Personal Development.

As Ireland’s leading social justice charity, Extern has worked alongside more than 1100 young people, and their families, in Limerick.