The recent release of the Katie Simpson Review highlighted areas of concern for the protection of children in equestrian sport in Northern Ireland, and made recommendations for effective multi-agency working, as well as Recommendation Sixteen: Introduce mandatory safeguarding policies, training, and vetting across all equestrian facilities, including unaffiliated stables.
The Links Group raises awareness of the link between abuse of animals and abuse of people through training, research, collaboration and inter-agency working, and we are now in our 25th year of doing this.
We’ve been working in partnership with equestrian organisations and safeguarding specialists to deliver training in this field in Northern Ireland, most recently at our event with the British Horse Society in Ireland and Northern Ireland at CAFRE Enniskillen on 9 March 2026, where we were supported by Leonard Consultancy and the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit.
We are delighted to say that Marcella Leonard, MBE, and her colleague Charlotte Creighton LLB from Leonard Consultancy will be delivering an Equestrian Safeguarding event on Wednesday 24 June 2026 from 7-10pm at Meadows Equestrian Centre, Embankment Road, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, BT66 6FD. Marcella and Charlotte will be joined by The Links Group Strategic Delivery Lead and NI-based vet Andrea Lynch, and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport lead, Paul Stephenson.
This workshop aims to increase your knowledge of safeguarding and how it applies to you, your staff, your yard and your horses. It will provide education on having a ‘Safe’ Yard, policies, procedures, codes of conduct as well as what is the learning for the sport from the Katie Simpson Review.
Leonard Consultancy and Associates is an independent organisation which specialises in providing expertise in all aspects of child, adult and public safeguarding and protection to the statutory, sports, arts, academia, religious, industry, charity and voluntary sectors nationally and internationally.
Marcella Leonard BSc. (HONS)., C.Q.S.W, MSc. AASW, PG. Dip ATSO, ASW, ASI. PTA, Fellow NOTA, Reg. COSRT.MBE
Marcella, Director of Leonard Consultancy and Associates, has over 35 years’ experience in child, adult, public safeguarding and protection. She is a qualified social worker with additional professional training in psychosexual therapy, trauma therapy, sexual and violent risk assessor. Her expertise is sought nationally and internationally both at strategic and operational levels in organisations.
Marcella joined us as our guest on one of our UK-wide Links Group multi-agency training days supported by the BSAVA back in November 2024, and has an in-depth understanding of ‘The Link’ between abuse of animals and abuse of people. She will also be delivering a session at our upcoming equestrian safeguarding day hosted by the Riding for the Disabled Association’s Causeway Coast & Glens branch on 30 September 2026. We are grateful to Leonard Consultancy for their support and are proud to be able to support each other’s endeavours.
Protecting Animals, Protecting People; Protecting Horses, Protecting Humans.
To book on the 24/06/26 event, please visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/equestrian-safeguarding-tickets-1990044605987?msockid=36241e9456766c50344509f357df6d70
For more information on the 30/09/26 event, please contact info@thelinksgroup.org.uk.
