Magpie Centre West Norfolk RDA

22/10/2026

🐴 💙 WE'RE RECRUITING – ALTERNATIVE PROVISION LEAD 💙 🐴

Could you help us make a real difference to the lives of young people?

We're looking for a passionate, experienced and dedicated Alternative Provision Lead to join The Nest at The Magpie Centre, near Downham Market, West Norfolk.

The Nest provides a calm, nurturing and supportive environment for children and young people who find mainstream education challenging. Through individualised learning, practical activities and the therapeutic benefits of working alongside horses, we help young people build confidence, develop skills and thrive.

We're looking for someone who can lead our provision, support our young people and help shape the future of The Nest.

💙 What we're looking for:
✅ A Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification or relevant higher qualification
✅ Significant experience supporting young people with SEND, particularly social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs
✅ Strong safeguarding knowledge and practical experience
✅ Experience planning and delivering individualised learning programmes
✅ Experience within a secondary school setting, ideally with an Assistant SENCO or HLTA background
✅ Excellent organisational, communication and leadership skills
✅ A compassionate, patient and adaptable approach

🐴 You'll also need to be comfortable around horses, as our equine environment is an important part of what makes The Nest so special.

This is more than a traditional education role. You'll be responsible for the day-to-day running of The Nest, supporting students, coordinating staff and activities, working with schools and families, and ensuring we provide a safe, positive and engaging learning environment.

What we offer:
💷 Competitive salary, dependent on experience and qualifications
🌿 A unique and rewarding working environment
💙 The opportunity to make a genuine difference to young people's lives
🐴 A chance to be part of a small, passionate and dedicated charity team
📍 Location: The Magpie Centre, near Downham Market, West Norfolk

Interested? We'd love to hear from you!

Please send your CV and covering letter to Jackie at [email protected].

Please share this opportunity and help us find the right person to lead The Nest into its next chapter!

22/10/2026

🐴🌾 New Hay Boxes for Our Paddocks! 🌾🐴

We've been busy getting our new hay boxes ready to go out into the paddocks!

A HUGE thank you to Fitton Oake Tile Shop in Wiggenhall St Germans, who have very kindly donated all these boxes to us completely FREE of charge! ❤️

We now have enough for all 17 paddocks, plus a few spares! 🎉

We had been expecting to pay around £30–£40 per box, so this incredibly generous donation has saved us a considerable amount of money!

These boxes will make such a difference, helping to keep the hay tidy and stopping it from blowing all over the paddocks. 🌬️🌾

We are so grateful for this wonderful act of kindness and support. It's lovely when local businesses help make a difference! 🥰

Thank you so much, Fitton Oake Tile Shop – your generosity really is appreciated! ❤️🐴

21/10/2026

💙 **Could You Be Our Next Fundraising Superstar?** 💙

We're on the lookout for an enthusiastic **Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator** to help us raise vital funds for The Magpie Centre!

We're looking for someone who loves organising, has plenty of ideas and enjoys bringing people together to make a difference.

🎉 Organising fundraising events and quiz nights
🐴 Representing us at local shows, fetes and markets
🤝 Building relationships with local businesses
💡 Coming up with exciting new fundraising ideas
💙 Helping raise much-needed funds to support our charity

You don't need previous fundraising experience, just enthusiasm, a little organisational flair and a willingness to get stuck in!

Based near Downham Market, The Magpie Centre supports children, young people and adults through therapeutic riding, carriage driving, equine activities and alternative education.

**Every pound raised helps us continue making a difference.**

Could this be you? Or perhaps you know someone who would be perfect?

📩 Get in touch with Holly at **[email protected]** to find out more.

Please share and help us find someone fantastic to join our team! 💙

21/10/2026

Its that time of the year again!

Please see the office for tickets!

Great prizes on offer!

As always we really appreciate your support 🫶

20/10/2026

A huge thanks to Jan and the team of volunteers who last week attended to our sensory garden. As the seasons are changing there was lots to tidy.

We are so lucky to have so many volunteers giving up their own time to support the centre!

18/10/2026

🐴 Driving Between the Cones – A Lesson in Steering! 🐴

A fantastic morning with Tonto and Harry last week! 🐎❤️

The kids were hands-on from start to finish! First, they had to bring the horses in, give them a good brush down and make sure they were correctly tacked up before heading out for a drive. 💪

Then it was time to put their steering skills to the test, weaving in and out of the cones! 🚦🐴

A brilliant way to build confidence, coordination and learn the importance of good horse care and preparation. Lots of learning, teamwork and fun along the way! 🌟

08/10/2026

We are so grateful for connections like this and the support of the commercial world! A huge thanks to the Prime Disaster Response Ltd team!

We’re always looking for ways to learn, improve and better understand the people we work alongside.

Our recent CILA conference survey gave us some great insight into what claims professionals value when working with restoration contractors, along with a few areas where the industry can do better.

A big thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts. Your responses also helped us raise £250 for West Norfolk RDA, The Magpie Centre West Norfolk RDA with a Fortnum & Mason hamper heading to one lucky winner.

Plenty of useful conversations, some great feedback and a little something given back along the way.

26/09/2026

🔨🌿 Calling All Handy People – We Need You! 🌿🔨

The Magpie Centre is looking for a few practical, willing volunteers to help us keep our grounds and outdoor areas in good shape.

We’re looking for people who enjoy getting stuck in and can lend a hand with general maintenance around the yard and grounds. This could include small repairs, tidying, fixing things, basic upkeep and all those little jobs that make a big difference.

You don’t need to be a professional tradesperson – if you’re practical, reliable and happy to muck in, we’d love to hear from you!

🙌 Volunteer role
🔧 A variety of maintenance and odd jobs
🌿 Help keep the Magpie Centre looking its best
☕ Friendly team and a chance to make a real difference

Whether you can spare a few hours regularly or help out from time to time, your support would be hugely appreciated.

Interested in joining our team of handy volunteers? Send us a message to find out more – or please share this post with someone who might be interested! 💚

25/09/2026

We are so grateful to all those who supported!