A DARTMOOR-based business will be supporting a Dartmoor-based pony charity this year.

The Dartmoor Soap Company, based in Belstone and owned and run by Sophie Goodwin-Hughes, has chosen to support the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT) with a donation from every bar of soap sold from its current range of 17 varieties.

The business has also added a new soap to its selection, aptly named ‘Spirit of the Moor’.

Sophie said: ‘The Spirit of the Moor soap represents everything that I love about Dartmoor and its ponies — spirit, reliability, grace, beauty and personality — and I’m delighted to be able to support the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust this year.’

Proceeds from the sale of the soaps and a percentage from Sophie’s soap-making workshops, will be donated to the charity. The donations will help the small team of volunteers based at the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust’s headquarters to continue the invaluable work they do with Dartmoor ponies and young people facing life challenges.

Judy Fawcett, chairman of the DPHT, said: ‘We are very grateful to Dartmoor Soap for so generously supporting our charity. Our work to raise awareness of the Dartmoor Pony bred on Dartmoor and its future, is the bedrock of our work, while developing life-changing programmes for young people with a range of learning or emotional needs.

‘We also keep a herd of approximately 25 ponies on our moorland site at Bellever near Postbridge, where we provide 100 free guided walks every year. Dartmoor Soap is helping us raise funds to support these initiatives.’

The introduction between the Dartmoor Soap Company and the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust was made by the Dartmoor Business Network, which is also supporting the trust this year as its charity of the year.

Jo Butler, co-manager of the network, said: ‘It is fantastic to see collaborations such as this between the Dartmoor Soap Company and the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust come together based on links made through the Dartmoor Business Network.

‘It is amazing how one conversation or introduction can lead to relationships such as this forming.’