Hope in Tottenham scores another roaring success with the ongoing Police Engagement Programme with Haringey’s schools. In an event taking place on Broadwater Farm, the Met’s Mounted Branch met pupils from the Willow Primary and Brook on the Broadwaters schools.
By Christina Davis, HiT Police Engagement Manager
Spitfire and Kyoto getting ready to meet Willow Primary and Brook on the Broadwater.
PC Bella and PC Adam brought Police Horses Spitfire (on the left) and Kyoto from their usual stables in Hammersmith to spent more than an hour meeting around 200 children from both schools and answer questions.
First out to meet the horses and officers were the children and their carers from Brook on the Broadwaters. One of the accompanying staff explained that normally these children would not approach such a large animal but that this chance to be close to them had had a visible impact on the children who have special needs. She added, “they stroked the horses, talked to them. Just being close to nature like this is very enjoyable for them”.
PC Bella helps a Brook Primary School student get comfortable with Kyoto.
When the Willow School pupils arrived class by class PC Adam gave a short talk about the job the horses do and how they are trained to do it. The children were particularly excited to hear that both horses had been working at the Euro 2020 finals the weekend before at Wembley. Pupils all got a chance to ask questions and to stroke the horses who were very patient and well behaved!
The police officers enjoyed the morning just as much. PC Adam told Hope In Tottenham that he used to work as a response officer in Tottenham, adding “so it’s a really wonderful to come back here and talk to the children now. The horses are a great ice breaker and the whole community has come out to have a look at them which is great”.
Hope In Tottenham director Rev. John Wood MBE who was there to oversee the event said he was very grateful to the Metropolitan Police’s Mounted Branch team for facilitating the visit and to the Willow School head Dawn Ferdinand for enabling her pupils to enjoy this unique access. “It’s just wonderful to be back on the Broadwater Farm campus again for the ever-popular engagement with the police horses. A big thank you to everyone who made it possible” he said.