pegasus – Pegasus is proud to be part of the Canberra Southern Cross Club Community Rewards Program

News and Upcoming Events

We are thrilled to announce our Pegasus Charity Mother’s Day High Tea’ this year is proudly brought to you by our supporters Capital Chemist Group.

Once again hosted by our fabulous Pegasus friends and dynamic duo, Ned & Josh, (The Ned & Josh Podcast) and this year, located at the gorgeous Contentious Character Winery, on Dairy Flat Road, it’s a perfect way to celebrate mum.

Scheduled for Saturday 10 May, it’s going to be an afternoon you don’t want to miss, and you will be supporting our fabulous pony led programs for those in our community with disability.

Our Capital Chemist; Pegasus Charity Mother’s Day High Tea is now open for bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/DAXCP

“Capital Chemist started with two stores in 1978. For more than a third of the capital’s hundred-plus years, we have been part of its history and its growing community.

We have flourished here; now there are 22 Capital Chemists in Canberra. Over the years, we’ve been involved with the local community in many ways. The Capital Chemist Community Program donates around $400,000 each year to local charities and community organisations. Through our links with the community, we have found ways to support health, education, the arts, and junior sport, and to open up opportunities for people with disabilities.

Some of the charities that we support are Pegasus, Rise Above, Lifeline, Karinya House, Palliative Care, Parkinson’s, Project Independence, Roundabout, Salvation Army, Special Children’s Christmas Party, Camp Quality, Canberra Hospital, Fearless Women, Menslink, DVCS, Epilepsy, Heart Foundation, Leukemia Foundation, St Vincent De Paul, Cystic Fibrosis, Parent line, Inherited Cancers and various junior sports organisations. On top of this, Capital Chemist has supported 33 scholarships to all public colleges in the ACT, amounting to over a million dollars over the past 20 years.

One of our favourite charities is Pegasus. We have been a longstanding partner with Pegasus for over 20 years, providing financial and in-kind support. To know that we can assist in supporting the upkeep of a horse and also provide scholarships to young people with a disability, who may not have the opportunity to access this type of rehabilitation and exercise, brings us a lot of joy.

Giving something back has been part of our philosophy from day one. Canberra has been good to us. Sponsoring our community is another way for us to say thank you”.

Readers please note: Josh was the only one of the two boys that did his homework. Ned will answer his questions in a live interview on Saturday afternoon at our Mother’s Day High Tea at Contentious Character.
Josh has received a virtual gold star.

Let’s start with the heart. What drew you to Pegasus in the first place? Was it the horses, the cause, or the community?

We got a tour of Pegasus and were lucky enough to see a class in motion. We both witnessed a young man who was very nervous to approach one of the horses. The coaches eventually helped him build up the courage to go and pat the horse on the nose. The strut of confidence this kid did on his way back to the group sealed the deal for us. The work Pegasus does is clearly just magic. It was one of those moments that really hits you and stays with you. You walk away knowing you’ve just seen something really special.

You meet a lot of people in your line of work. What stood out to you about the Pegasus volunteers and participants?

The commitment is, by default, on two different levels from Pegasus volunteers and it’s truly unique. Obviously the participants and their needs and growth are at the forefront of the mission for the volunteers. But they also have to have a deep understanding and love for the horses as well. So it’s just an extra level of dedication and knowledge that is amazing to see. It’s not just care for the people or care for the animals. It’s both. And that’s something really rare and really powerful.

Pegasus turns 50 this year. What do you think this kind of milestone says about our impact over the years?

I truly think once you’ve seen the work Pegasus does up close, it starts to become impossible to imagine this not existing for families. The Canberra community is so tight knit that it means a lot of people have either interacted directly or love someone who has. So once they understand the work that is done, they rally to make sure it continues. Hitting 50 years says a lot. It says what Pegasus does works. It says it matters. And it says people will always stand behind it.

What do you think people often don’t realise about what goes on at Pegasus behind the scenes, especially with the participants or the care of the horses?

I think what I mentioned before, it’s two fold. There is this incredible program that has these wide reaching and untold impacts on the participants. But it’s also essentially a working farm. So the care and financial commitment that needs to go in to making sure the horses can provide these incredible outcomes is immense. I think that would be lost on a lot of people. It is not just the sessions. It is the feed, the grooming, the vet work, the training. It’s everything. And it all adds up.

If you could challenge your listeners to do just one thing to support Pegasus, what would it be and why?

Get down to Pegasus and see a class in action. It’s not a hard concept to grasp but the impact is really one of those things you need to see to fully get. It worked for us. That day we did the tour was a game changer for us. Go and see it for yourself. One visit and you’ll completely understand why this place matters.