Festina Lente

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Festina Lente CHY 20061425 Festina Lente was founded 35 years ago. The Festina Lente Foundation is now at a fascinating juncture.
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A unique charity & education centre combining equestrian activities, horse riding, therapeutic programmes, and horticultural learning. 🐴🌱
" Life enhancing education for horses & humans"
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📌 Registered Charity No. Back then, it was a tiny operation but in the period since its inception, we have become an essential Learning Centre where people can thrive and grow regardless of their circumstances. A unique blend of horses, horticulture, and community brings us together as we strive to create new opportunities in learning for those with intellectual and physical challenges and offer excellence in education and training for those who choose to follow a career path in any of the above sectors. Having outgrown our current facilities in Bray and with our lease due to end shortly, we have located a permanent new home only a 10-minute drive from our current location. The successful relocation to new premises will not only mean the continuation of our existing services to 450 people each week, but also the further development of education and learning programmes to an additional 200 people weekly. But we urgently need to secure funding to complete the purchase by Spring 2022 and then begin an ambitious two-year building project to develop a National Education Centre. Having experienced such a huge growth in demand for all of our programmes, this new facility will reduce our waiting lists and provide much needed care and training for those who need it. Festina Lente Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide a unique range of equestrian and horticultural learning, training and employment opportunities that focuses on social inclusion, choice and personal development. Statement of Purpose
Festina Lente provides a range of innovative equestrian, horticultural and community based learning opportunities designed to enhance employment opportunities for those in our programmes. All of our activities conform either to the standards for Adult Day Services and prevocational training as set out by the Health Services Executive, Social Enterprises as set out by the Department of Social Protection, Vocational Training as set out by the Department of Education and Skills and Equestrian Center management as set out by and Association of Irish Riding Establishment and activities relating to all other relevant and statutory requirements.

29/10/2026

HO HO HO 🎅🤶

Our amazing Christmas Calendars are in stock! Available from the Equestrian Learning Centre & the Garden Shop!

Get one before they are gone and support the Festina Lente Charity. They make the best stocking fillers for the equestrian in your life and you can have our favourite ponies in your house all year round for 2027!

🐎 First Pony Adventures: Parent & Toddler Group 🐎Introduce your little one to the joy of ponies in a peaceful, fun envir...
29/10/2026

🐎 First Pony Adventures: Parent & Toddler Group 🐎

Introduce your little one to the joy of ponies in a peaceful, fun environment!

Join us just before Christmas for a hands-on hour of grooming, bonding, and riding with our sweet miniature Shetland ponies: Alannah, Siofra, Bob, and Sean. An hour of wonder for you and your little one! 🐎✨

Why Families Love It:

🎠 Tailored specifically for toddlers and young children up to 6 years of age.

🐎 Includes interactive gentle grooming time and a fully accompanied pony ride with our expert team.

🏠Hosted in our comfortable indoor arena.

🌻Also enjoy spending time in our Victorian Walled Gardens.

💖 Limited to 10 toddlers/children per session for a relaxed, personal feel.

📧Please direct all enquiries to [email protected]

BOOK here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-pony-adventures-parent-toddler-group-december-tickets-2004006056060



Equine Assisted Learning Facilitators Programme :It's Module 6 for this amazing bunch! It's all coming together...we wil...
19/10/2026

Equine Assisted Learning Facilitators Programme :

It's Module 6 for this amazing bunch! It's all coming together...we will catch up with one or two of the students next month and see how they are getting on!

🚀 THE GREAT PUMPKITECTURAL EXPERIENCE IS UNDERWAY! 🎃✨​The autumnal transformation of our gardens has begun, and our youn...
19/10/2026

🚀 THE GREAT PUMPKITECTURAL EXPERIENCE IS UNDERWAY! 🎃✨

​The autumnal transformation of our gardens has begun, and our young makers have taken imagination to a whole new level! A huge round of applause to our brilliant early creators for kickstarting the season with such wild originality. 👏🌾
​From eco-pumpkin cottages and fairy sanctuaries to full-scale Rocket Space Odyssey ships 🚀, the creativity brought to life in the gardens is nothing short of extraordinary.

​✨ DESIGNS THAT INSPIRE

​Sustainable Crafting: Utilizing native flora, mosses, seed pods, and twigs.
​Unbridled Wonder: Exploring architecture through playful, nature-led design.

​Community Connection: Creating together in the open air.

​🎟️ LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE ACROSS UPCOMING DATES
Feeling inspired to design and experiment? Remaining spaces for our October Pumpkitecture sessions are strictly limited.
​Be sure to secure your spot soon to go deeper into the art of botanical architecture before slots fill up! 🪵🌿

​👉 Book your place: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/halloween-fun-pumpkin-fairy-house-and-space-odyssey-carvings-tickets-1996785072905

​ CreativeMinds CommunityMagic

Beyond Forward Facing: Explore Positioning and Movement in Therapeutic Horsemanship (CPD) An interactive and experientia...
15/10/2026

Beyond Forward Facing: Explore Positioning and Movement in Therapeutic Horsemanship (CPD)

An interactive and experiential CPD day for Therapeutic Riding Coaches to deepen your understanding of movement.


BEYOND FORWARD FACING 🐎

It is not just where we sit. It is how we move. Look again. Feel the difference. Explore the possibilities.

As Therapeutic Riding Coaches, we know that the horse's movement is central to what we do. But how often do we stop to consider how positioning, support and the quality of that movement influence the rider's experience? Join us for an interactive and experiential CPD day that invites you to look beyond familiar approaches, challenge your observations and deepen your understanding of movement.

When: Monday, 16th November: 10.30 am – 3.30 pm

Where: Festina Lente, Old Connaught Ave, Bray, Co. Wicklow

Facilitator: Audrey Darby, Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Cost: €75 pp

Tickets:

https://bit.ly/4hJC3v9

Enquiries: [email protected]

Happy National Community Gardens & Allotments Week! 🎉🌱Today, we’re taking a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to...
14/10/2026

Happy National Community Gardens & Allotments Week! 🎉🌱

Today, we’re taking a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in making our community walled garden and allotments such a vibrant, peaceful space to be in, as part of 's special week! Here’s a little snapshot of some of our allotment holders in action and growing together. 💚

Our community garden is such a vital amenity for everyone to enjoy – a peaceful, beautiful sanctuary to connect with nature, grab a coffee, wander through, walk the dog, or sit down for a picnic.

✨ Free admission ✨ Free parking ✨ The perfect local antidote for everyone to our busy lives!

Put a visit to our garden on your to-do list this week, or pop by and chat with our team about joining our allotment waitlist!

Two Peas, Two Superpowers! 🫛✨​Finding autumn balance with our St. Francis & Our Lady Immaculate SNS outreach groups! We ...
13/10/2026

Two Peas, Two Superpowers! 🫛✨

​Finding autumn balance with our St. Francis & Our Lady Immaculate SNS outreach groups! We set up a seasonal seesaw: saving Sweet Pea seeds for future fragrance & color, and sowing Garden Peas for food security & fresh eats.

​Once we sorted our peas, we gathered discarded garden scraps and community "failures" to create these joyful nature faces. A beautiful reminder of strength, resourcefulness, and facing the new season together! 🍂🍁😄

​

07/10/2026

🌱 Growing, learning and creating together! 🌱

Patrick from our Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Outreach Programme has been doing fabulous work with the students at St. Coen’s School, Wicklow.

From getting creative and making projects from pallets to getting their hands in the soil and growing fenugreek, the students have been learning new skills, exploring nature and enjoying the benefits of working together outdoors. 🌿🪴
This is a wonderful example of our Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Outreach Programme for DEIS schools, which uses nature-based activities to support wellbeing, learning, confidence and connection.

It’s amazing to see what the students are creating and growing — well done to Patrick and everyone at St. Coen’s!

🌱 Would your school like to learn more about our Outreach Programme?

For more information, contact: 📧 [email protected]

Caroline from Lifeskills at Festina Lente is enjoying her first day work experience in Starbucks Stillorgan.  Great job!...
06/10/2026

Caroline from Lifeskills at Festina Lente is enjoying her first day work experience in Starbucks Stillorgan. Great job!

➡️ Starbucks is anothother inclusive employer.

Caroline is part of our Supported Employment Programme. It helps individuals with disabilities secure and succeed in community-based jobs. It provides 1:1 help with job searching, workplace preparation/training, and support as they settle into a job in the community.

➡️ Our Supported Employment Programme is for students already attending Festina Lente Day Services.

Special thanks to our Life Skills Team for setting Caroline up for success!

Leave a comment for Caroline ⬇️👏

Address

Old Connaught Avenue
Bray
CO.WICKLOWA98F702

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