Pictured above from left to right: Helena Vega-Lozano, RDA UK Chair of Trustees, Greta Duff, Long serving volunteer & 55th Anniversary Over & Above Award Recipient and Malcolm Wharton CBE – Chard & District Group Chair.

As part of our 55th Anniversary celebrations, we are excited to introduce the limited-edition 55th Anniversary Over and Above Award. This special recognition honors volunteers who have exceeded expectations to make a positive impact on individuals, their group, or the wider RDA community. Whether through innovative thinking, offering invaluable support during challenging times, or going the extra mile, these volunteers embody RDA’s core values of selflessness, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our mission.

On August 28th, during Chard and District RDA’s 40th Anniversary celebration, Helena Vega-Lozano, RDA UK Chair of Trustees, proudly presented the first-ever 55th Anniversary Over and Above Certificate to Greta Duff, an outstanding volunteer who has been a key figure in the group’s success for over 35 years.

Greta’s involvement with Chard and District RDA began 40 years ago, when she initially loaned ponies to the group. Since 1989, Greta has been a dedicated volunteer, contributing to numerous capacities—from organising Thursday night volunteer sessions to serving as a committee member and currently as a Director. The group Chair, Malcolm Wharton CBE, says “Greta’s contributions to the group are immeasurable; she has been the heartbeat of the group,” Greta also serves as Rides Organiser, as well as playing a key role in fundraising, sourcing riders, volunteers, and organising thank-you events.

 In receiving the award Greta said

“I am greatly honoured to receive this award. Our celebration tea party highlighted the strength of support and goodwill we enjoy as a group. It was very pleasing to see friends who have supported us from the very first meeting.

My daughter was one of our riders for many years and then went on to the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy. We are aware of the magic of ponies, and how just a short time with them in a session can change lives and give so much pleasure.

We had to rebuild and restart the group after lock down and it is thanks to the support of friends, past volunteers, and Malcolm, who became our Chair, that we overcame initial challenges and are starting to secure the future of our group. A huge thankyou to everyone.”

 Greta’s commitment and dedication to the group over the past four decades perfectly exemplify the spirit of the 55th Anniversary Over and Above Award, making her a well-deserved recipient of this recognition.

A limited number of certificates are available until the end of the year, and the award is open to all volunteers – whether at the group, county, regional, or national level. This award focuses on the impact made rather than length of service.

The 55th Anniversary Over and Above certificates are available to order through group orders website now – click here. 

Rachel King has recently joined the RDA UK team as our new Volunteering Manager, bringing a wealth of experience and passion for supporting groups with recruitment, training, development, and recognition of volunteers. She is looking forward to collaborating with RDA groups to enhance their already incredible work and supporting them to achieve their goals.

Last week, Rachel, along with Melanie Parry, our Volunteer Coordinator, visited Wakefield RDA and North Ferriby RDA in Yorkshire, introducing Rachel to the inspiring world of RDA Groups. 

Wakefield RDA 

Rachel meets Bill the pony at Wakefield RDA

‘My third week at RDA ended with my first visit to a very snowy Yorkshire! On the 8th of February, I visited Wakefield RDA where Melanie Parry introduced me to Carol and her team (including Bill – what an absolute gent!). A big thank you for having us & giving us your time and showing us around – even in the snow! It’s amazing to see the incredible work you are doing! I absolutely love how much I am learning in each & every conversation with RDA volunteers. 

North Ferriby RDA 

My Yorkshire trip was rounded off with a visit to North Ferriby RDA and all I can say is wow – what a special place. From the moment I walked through the front gate I felt welcomed, and I quickly understood why this is a safe space for so many – participants and volunteers alike. It was great to see some young volunteers in action on the yard, and I particularly enjoyed learning about the history of the group and where it all started. I loved hearing young people’s stories and all about their achievements, as well as the teams’ individual journeys as RDA volunteers. 

Their passion for offering more than just riding at this group absolutely shone through and it was clear to me that people & animals from whatever walk off life could find their place here. To the passionate & dedicated people making this happen and making an impact on so many lives – thank you again and again. I look forward to hearing about all your successes this year and visiting again sometime soon, hopefully in the sunshine!  Dolly & the donkeys made me feel especially welcome (even cheeky Chad who tried to have a munch on my coat). 

Rachel meets Dolly at North Ferriby RDA

Mel meets one of the North Ferriby donkeys

I am really looking forward to connecting with more RDA groups and volunteers over the coming weeks & months to learn from your experiences, and support you in our mission to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities through horses.   – so let me know if you would like a visitor!’  

To get in touch with Rachel… 

e: rking@rda.org.uk 

Philippa Fairhall and Mel Parry on a visit to The Cavalier Centre

On Thursday 16^th November, Mel Parry, our Regional Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator (Yorkshire), and Philippa Fairhall, our new Philanthropy Manager at RDA UK, visited The Cavalier Centre to find out more about two projects run by the group; Stable Relationships (a 12 week 1:1 programme for young people aged between 8-18 with social and emotional problems) and Steps (a 12 week programme delivered in small groups, aimed at out of work adults).  

Both projects focus on emotional wellbeing, mental health and growing confidence and social skills and are drawing in individuals with little to no previous experience of horses.  

It was wonderful to hear firsthand from Rachel Lambert Jones and Jane Johnson the transformation effect of the projects and both Mel and Philippa were very grateful for their time, their shared knowledge and the tour of their amazing centre.  The news of the group’s “Kings Award for Voluntary Service” had just been made public the day before, so it was great to celebrate that and congratulate the whole team on such a prestigious recognition!

Riding for the Disabled Association are delighted to announce that Elizabeth Bennett has been selected as their new National Vaulting Lead.

Lizzie has been involved in RDA for many years, and she is a strong advocate for vaulting both inside and outside of RDA. She has had her own competition success at RDA National Championships as well as British Equestrian Vaulting (BEV). In addition to her own competition success, Lizzie has supported others through her coaching, enabling them to also have competition success. Lizzie is a BEV Level 2 Coach as well as an RDA Vaulting coach.

Lizzie has told us a bit more about herself and her ambitions in this new role:

“In September 2014 I started riding with the RDA, thinking that I would never be able to get back to the sport I had loved as a child. I’d had ten long years since breaking my back and just sitting on a horse was really difficult, but the team at Cambridgeshire College RDA built me back up very gradually until I was able to canter and jump again. When I had the opportunity to try vaulting, I was a full-time wheelchair user and had no idea what I’d be able to manage. Again, the patience and enthusiasm of coaches at RDA and Cambridge Vaulting Club meant that I was fully involved in competing and doing displays from my earliest days in the sport.

“Fast forward a few years and my entire life has been transformed thanks to vaulting within RDA and British Equestrian Vaulting (BEV). Its taken a long time and a lot of hard work, but I have become so much happier and healthier (despite various injuries!) as a result. I have even been able to start work as a groom at an English Heritage property: caring for the horses, riding in displays (including side saddle), sharing the history of the stables with visitors, learning carriage driving, and doing a fair bit of dressing up!

“Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to own Puro, a Dutch Warmblood who I’ve worked with for years as coach, lunger and vaulter. He’s not perfect by any means (just like his owner!) but I trust him in a way I have never trusted any other horse. It’s been a delight to share him with other RDA and Para-vaulters, and to see vaulters from across the country competing on him at Hartpury was a very proud moment. He’s a very good boy!

“Coaching within RDA and BEV has allowed me to see in others what I myself have experienced over and over again: not dreams coming true, but rather things that you would never have even thought or known to have dreamed of or wished for. I have stopped limiting myself by what I think I can do, and instead I just keep taking little steps to see where they end up.

“I hope to do much the same thing in the role as RDA Vaulting Lead. Vaulting is such an exciting and inspiring activity, and it is accessible to disabled people in a way that riding isn’t. In vaulting, you can have another person on the horse with you for support. You don’t have to sit astride if that’s uncomfortable, and you don’t have to control the horse either. Vaulting is also a great way to learn about horses and to learn to appreciate them: every single thing we do as vaulters is analysed first and foremost in terms of the harmony with the horse. The relationship you can build with a vaulting horse is quite incredible too – in the absence of being able to ‘give’ aids, you switch purely into ‘receive’ mode, and become far more receptive to the horse as a result.

“The priorities for RDA Vaulting as we head into 2023 and beyond lie primarily within expanding it. We want more participants, which will mean more coaches, more barrel horses and, in time, more real horses too! Barrel vaulting is a highly competitive activity within RDA, and one which can bring many benefits to participants despite the lack of a ‘real’ horse. It’s also a no-brainer for RDA Groups – barrels don’t tend to eat much or need the farrier, after all. Vaulting in general is cost-effective even when there is a horse involved, as a group of vaulters will all work with just one horse.

Lizzie on Puro at the RDA National Championships 2022