THE Harwich Horse Rangers Association have picked up 12 awards at the Jack Petchey Achievement Awards in Tendring.

Awards were given to eight children and four leaders from the Harwich Horse Rangers Association at the Westcliff Theatre in Clacton on Monday.

The Harwich Horse Rangers Association is a registered charity which works with children outside of mainstream education and further provides lessons to adults who can either pay for riding lessons or exchange their time through volunteering at the yard.

The Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme recognises outstanding young people aged 11 to 24 across Essex and London.

The twelve awards were handed out by Dan Casey, chairman of Tendring Council, and the Jack Petchey Foundation also donated £300 per child and £1,000 per leader.

The leaders have chosen to use their money to buy CCTV which will allow volunteers to remotely check in on poorly horses who are in the stables overnight.

The leaders will also spend money on mud mats which prevent horses from injuring themselves when entrances to fields become boggy.

While the children still are deciding on the “very adult job” of how they will spend their money to help the charity continue its work building the character of children.

Emma Christmas, a trustee, said: “HRA supports children outside of mainstream education and does such a great job in the community as well as keeping over 30 older Horses and Ponies in work" .

"We usually forget to tell people what great work is being done here so it was nice to have members recognised this evening."