Refugees from war-torn countries have recently benefited from an equine therapy programme in Cumbria.

The sessions were made possible by funding from the Cumberland's Charitable Foundation.

The building society made a donation from its Cumberland Branch Community Fund to ChangeWays Through Horses CIC, a Brampton-based organisation that specialises in equine-assisted therapy.

This funding allowed refugees from Syria, Iran, and Sudan to participate.

ChangeWays works in collaboration with Carlisle-based charity, Safety Net, which supports asylum seekers.

Coral Harrison, the founder of ChangeWays and a child and adult psychotherapist, said: "The most important thing about working with people with trauma is to get them into the moment and concentrate on the experience with the horses.

"They came in with their heads down and then we could see them smiling and really enjoying the moment.

"We couldn’t speak in the same language, but it was amazing how the horses responded to them, they just wanted to be around them."

The sessions, specifically designed for asylum seekers in Cumbria, allow small groups to spend time with horses or ponies, with support from staff and translators.

Small groups could spend time with horses or ponies (Image: Tom Kay) Ms Harrison added: "The help we’ve had through the Cumberland has been a big help to us in putting on sessions like this."

The Cumberland Branch Community Fund is a registered charity that supports community groups and charitable causes in the business's heartland.

In the last financial year, the fund donated nearly £25,000 to support 165 community groups and charitable causes.

Donations of up to £100 are considered and awarded on an individual basis by branch teams, with larger donations considered by the fund’s board of trustees.

This year, the fund's support allowed ChangeWays to provide six equine therapy sessions for refugees.

One participant, speaking through a translator, said: "We saw the horses and brushed them, it was amazing.

"We remembered the past, but this will pass.

"I feel better."

Ms Harrison explained: "What they needed was peace and calm to remind them that there is a different life after all they had been through.

"For some, it reconnected them to Syria, the time before the war.

"There was a lot of emotion, it was very moving, it touched the sadness and sorrow about leaving everything behind."

One participant described the experience as 'amazing' (Image: Tom Kay) Susan Bradbury, a trainee manager at the Cumberland, recently visited ChangeWays to learn about the impact of the building society's grant on the asylum seeker sessions.

She said: "I think the work that they are doing is really special, it’s so inspiring, humbling and heartwarming.

"Coral and Sue are very special, selfless people.

"Some of the stories they have told me today have been really touching.

"The collaboration is fantastic and leads the way for other organisations and businesses to take note.

"ChangeWays are leading by example."

Other groups which have received funding from the Cumberland Branch Community Fund in the last year include Heartbeat North-West Cardiac Care, which used the money to cover the cost of cardiac rehabilitation classes for people with heart disease.

Another recipient was the Brampton Bus Buddy Scheme, an initiative to support elderly people who would like to get out and about but might be nervous about travelling alone on public transport.

The Cumberland Branch Community Fund continues to support various community initiatives and charitable causes in their heartland.

More information about the fund and its beneficiaries is available on their website.