RDA group on the hunt for new home
A Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) group that has been running for 30 years is on the hunt for a new home.
The Hollesley Group, which was established in 1985, has been at its current home in Pettistree Hall Farm in Sutton, Suffolk, for 22 years.
However, its lease expires in August 2016 so it has a year to find a new home.
Volunteer Viv Sadler told H&H that the group has to move as the owners need the land back.
“They are being wonderful – they are allowing us to stay for a year free of rent,” she added.
Since the group started at its first base in Poplar Park, it has grown both in terms of the number of horses and riders.
It now has 17 horses, used for both riding and driving, while 66 volunteers help with the day-to-day running of the centre.
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“We are busy all the time,” Ms Saddler said.
“Our horses all live out all year round because a lot of them are retired or older.
“We don’t need much in terms of stabling.”
The Hollesley Group also has its own indoor school, which they could move to a new base.
Ms Saddler started volunteering about 15 years ago after moving back from America, as her five-year-old granddaughter Jess Smith had applied to the centre.
She started helping out with the carriage driving and then also became involved in the riding side.
Ms Saddler said the riding “works wonders” for conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and that the volunteers really enjoy watching the clients improve.
“The riders with conditions like autism and learning difficulties, they just seem to open up to the horses where they will not to people,” she added.
“It is hard work, but there are so many dedicated volunteers.”
On 11 July, the group held a fun day to celebrate its milestone anniversary.
As well as demonstration rides, they gave carriage drives and also had a parade of their “Hollesley horse heroes”.
The event was opened by Simon Barnes, a journalist and former chief sportswriter at The Times.
If you can help with the search for a new base email: enquiries@rdawoodbridge.org.uk
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.