Peter and June McIntyre were pioneers of horse riding for people with a disability in Australia and established the first riding school of this kind at their home in Kenmore, before opening the McIntyre Centre at its current Pinjarra Hills site in 1964. This centre has provided essential life changing and therapeutic services for 60 years.
In 2017, The McIntyre Family transferred the centre to HELP Enterprises through Deed of Gift. Having maintained the charitable services for 6 years and with significant capital investment and refurbishment, HELP Enterprises felt the gap between fee for service and the NDIS price cap was too great to cover the extensive overheads of the centre. Therefor, HELP Enterprises opened an Expression of Interest campaign for a charity to accept the transfer of the centre to continue on the services to the community and carry on the legacy of the McIntyre Family.
In March 2024, Racing Hearts Therapy Inc. was the successful applicant of this campaign and we feel incredibly privileged to continue the work of such groundbreaking pioneers as the McIntyre Family. We are excited to engage with the local community and bring the McIntyre Centre back to life and operate it to its full potential.
We have been successfully offering a number of services and programs in Victoria and NSW and have a strong foundation to implement at the McIntyre Centre.
- At the McIntyre Centre we intend to offer:
- Riding Develops Abilities Programs
- Equine Assisted Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Equine Assisted Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Art Therapy
- Schools Programs
- Programs to assist Correctional Services
- Training and education for all abilities
- Individual and Group Programs tailored to meet the needs of the community
- Retired racehorse rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming
- Inclusive workshops and clinics, mounted and unmounted
- Inclusive gymkhanas and events
- Host community groups at The Hub
- ….and more!
We are committed to working with the local and surrounding communities to meet the high demand for theses services and we encourage clear communication and a collaborative approach to achieving outcomes together. We want this to be a thriving hub of activity that is available to a large variety of organisations and individuals to access and we will need your help.
If you are interested in being involved in The McIntyre Centre we will be looking for staff, volunteers and of course participants to join us on this exciting new chapter for the centre. Please complete the Expression of Interest form below so that we can contact you and discuss.
