Children Ecological Centre "Living Thread"
Charity organisation

121309 Moscow Barclay str. 16-3-129
Tel./fax.: +7 (095) 915-00-46; +7 (095) 915-00-48
E-mail: ecocentr@online.ru
Chairman of the board - Irina Terentieva,
Director - Peter Gourvitch

"The Living Thread" is a charitable non-for-profit organisation founded in 1991 by a group of devotees, and passed its registration in 21.01.1992 (№ 23-12-125)

The Children Ecological Centre (CEC) pursues the perspectives of creating a relevant environment supporting families with disable children. One of the chief task of CEC consists of providing a condition for invalid children to integrate them into society on a level with people of their age, as well as to help them to obtain a professional skills, go for sport and the like.

The main program of CEC is courses of therapeutic riding (TR). Children and adults attend TR courses of "The Living Thread" with the following impairments: cerebral palsy, oligophrenia, Down syndrome, early children autism, and some others.

CEC is a member of International Equestrian Federation for Disabled (FRDI), International member group of RDA (GB); member of Russian Federation of Equestrian Sport, member of Moscow Federation of Equestrian sport; and a member of Moscow Federation of Equestrian sport and physical culture.

1991	autumn - the first group of 13 children with disabilities began to attend courses at CEC.
1992	40 families partook in the CEC program. The centre organised the very first in Russia integral family camp of TR for invalid children and "normal" children of their age. The Russian government approved of the CEC program. CEC partook in the First Polish Congress of Hippotherapists (Warsaw), in the international conference on problems of rehabilitation of disabled children in Russia (the city of Dubna), and held the first training seminar in co-operation with the French Association "Handy Cheval".
1993	60 children attend TR courses in CEC.
1994	CEC with the support of the Ministry of social defence of population, the Central Moscow Hippodrome and firms-sponsors organised and held the First All-Russia TR conference, two training seminars I n co-operation with the British Association of Equestrian Riding for Invalids (RDA) and the department Therapeutic Physical Culture of Medical Academy of Tbilisi. There was held a training in co-operation with Dr. Rene Garrig.
1995	110 children from Moscow attend TR courses and 10 more came from other cities. One training seminar was held with the department Therapeutic Physical Culture of Medical Academy of Tbilisi.
1996	160 children attend TR courses in CEC. CEC partook in the Second European Symposium on TR (Geteborg, Sweden); The British Fond of helping to The Charitable Organisation (CAF) shot a film of CEC "The Living Thread"; the program of integral camp was presented for the competition of innovation projects of working with disabled children and awarded with Diploma of Moscow government ;. Under the support of Soros Foundation - Open Society Institute (OSI) the was held a training seminar in co-operation with RDA, and a probation period program for students of the corrective pedagogy departments of Moscow City and State Pedagogical Universities (MCPU, MSPU) was worked out and accomplished. In co-operation with Russia Special Olympics Committee there were held The first All-Russia Equestrian sport special competitions for children with learning difficulties.
1997	Under the support of OSI CEC: continued to provide the probation period program for students of the corrective pedagogy departments of Moscow City and State Pedagogical Universities (MCPU, MSPU); obtained a report of its program on the 9th International TR Congress (Denver, USA); organised the Second All-Russia TR Conference. Published permanent news release under the title "TR" in Russian oldest magazine "Horse breeding and Equestrian Sport".
1998	160 families with disable children attend TR courses in CEC. Five workers graduated form University Paris-Nord (France) in the speciality "Re-adaptation by TR". The program of the summer rehabilitation TR camp of "The Living Thread" won first place in the competition of Moscow Government among the "summer vocation" programs for children with disabilities. The joint project CEC, RDA, RSAPS and MSPU received the support of the program of British-Russian Partnership. The aim of the project is TR specialists training. On the 3rd European TR Congress, taken place in Munich (Germany) CEC gave three presentations, one plenary, and two for stand. The program of "The Living Thread" became a laureate of All-Russia competition in the memoriam of Mother Theresa "Childhood free from violence and cruelty" held by OSI.
1999	CEC received a grant from OSI for the development of professional education for invalids program. CEC was attended by 110 invalids. CEC organized a seminar of International Parolympic Committee of Equestrian Sport (IPEC) The principals of judging and classification of invalids for the International Competitions in dressage among the disabled". CEC organized and carried out the First Dressage Championship of Moscow for the Disabled Riders and the First Special Olympic Equestrian Championship of Moscow. Two of the disabled riders from CEC "The Living Thread" represented Russia at the World Dressage Championship for the Disabled Riders in Denmark. In the frame of Russian-British project for training the instructors in TR were carried out 4 seminars. 2 of them devoted to Remedial vaulting in the system of TR were carried out by Sue Adams Wheeler and Sue Nevill Parker ( RDA, Gr. Brit.). The other two were carried out by Prof. Karl Kluver, ex-president of FRDI.

• 230 families with disable children have received a regular support from CEC due to 8 years of its permanent work.
• 8 rehabilitation summer camps were held; 6 in three terms and 2 in two terms.
• CEC trained 80 specialists from 35 cities of Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States.
• 20 organisation from different regions began to work under the basis of CEC supportive programs of social adaptation and integration of families with disabled children in society.