15/05/2026
For 17 years our charity has been supporting the community. Now we are hoping that the community can support us.
Something is happening on the Sunshine Coast that most people don't see.
A 13yo girl who had been monitored around the clock after a su***de attempt has — after 12 weeks at Hoofbeats Sanctuary — gone back to simply being a kid. Her mother calls it "literally life-changing."
A woman who had been suicidal for 3 years, unable to drive, unable to work, needing a full-time carer, walked out of our program with friends, a social life, independence, a new businesses - and, in her own words, purpose.
A young woman who came to us as her "last resort" — who wanted reasons to stay alive — went on to study equine-assisted therapy and volunteer at the Sanctuary she credits with saving her life.
These are not exceptional stories. They are typical ones. This is the difference that we make.
In December 2024, researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast completed an independent evaluation of our programs. They found our results "exceptionally significant" — producing improvements in mental health more than ten times greater than federally funded mental health programs. Every single one of the 22 mental health indicators they measured improved substantially. Not one missed the threshold for clinical significance.
And yet, we are in crisis.
We receive no government funding. We rely entirely on donations and one-off grants. Right now, we do not have the funds to keep our doors open to new clients. And if we can't raise $50,000 over the next three months, we will not have the funds to keep operating at all.
You will likely have seen in recent weeks that our local community has been quietly losing some of its most valuable assets. Katie Rose Cottage, our beloved local hospice, has had to pause its operations due to a funding crisis. Other local charities and community services have closed their doors altogether — unable to sustain operations in an environment where donations are falling rapidly at the same time that the demand for services is rising rapidly.
The thought of Hoofbeats closing — like so many of the services our community has already lost — is something we think about every day. We have girls on our waiting list right now who need us. Losing this service would be a quiet tragedy for our region.
If you are in a position to support us — whether that is $20, $100, $500, or more — please know your contribution matters. Every donation is tax-deductible. Every donation makes a difference.
BSB: 633000 | Account: 137521696 | Account Name: Kanyini Connections Ltd
Or donate online: https://hoofbeats.org.au/donate/
There are other ways to support us that cost nothing — sharing our story with someone who might be able to help, sharing this post, or simply sending us a kind word. All of it matters.
To those who have already given — whether recently or over many years — thank you. You are the reason those women and girls got their lives back. You are the reason this sanctuary exists.
