About Helen

Helen is the founder and owner of HLWES.

Horses are my passion. I love to be around them, work with them and ride them. Through HLWES, I’m able to share this passion with young people and see them learn and grow.

I have been working with horses professionally since I left school at 16 years old. I have worked in various roles in the industry, including, Yard / Centre Manager, 4* Event groom, Instructor. College was hard as I was diagnosed with Dyslexia but with a lot of hard work I gained various BHS qualifications and became the first person in England to gain the NVQ Level 4 in Equine.

At the age of 23 I left the equine industry and started a career at a residential school for children and young adults with Autism. I gained my Care and Teaching assistant level 3 along with PEC communication qualifications. I have since worked in 2 different specialist schools as a teaching assistant and have worked with children and young adults with a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism (All parts of the spectrum), ADHD, PDA, Fragile X and also mental health conditions.

In 2015, I recognised the need for a specialist service that combines equine assisted learning with a deep understanding of children with Special Education Needs. I felt that I had the skills and knowledge to make a difference to peoples lives and founded HLWES.

Our Team

HLWES has grown in recent years as there has been a increase in the appreciation of the benefits of Equine Assisted Learning to people who struggle with mainstream education. We are a small team and all members of the team are carefully chosen as very specific skills, knowledge and personalities are needed for this type of work.

All our staff;

  • are enhanced DBS checked

  • Have undergone first aid training

  • Have child protection qualifications

  • Are BHS qualified

  • Have received Autism awareness training

All new students have a introductory meeting where they will get to meet their instructor, familiarise themselves with the facilities and most importantly meet the horses. We understand that your young people require consistency, routine and structure so we endeavour to ensure that they get to work with the same instructors and horses at each of their sessions.