Appeal Update November 2024

 

Update 

Following the success of our appeal launched in April we have now raised £29,681 through donations from our very generous supporters, fundraising events and some grant funding.   

                                                         Thank you everyone.

We are all working extremely hard to continue to raise the extra funds which we need to both improve our existing service and expand on the services we provide and the community we reach out to. These 5 months have shown us we can deliver on our objectives.

It costs us £4682 per week to keep the Centre open which equates to £669 per day.

 

 

What are our objectives?

To deliver equine therapy through riding lessons and equine based therapy to adults and children with additional needs

To learn and be given the opportunity to achieve for our riders, volunteers and staff

To enable them to have physical activity and very importantly have FUN

 

Why do we need to survive?

We offer riding and equine therapy for people with disabilities across our region enabling them to achieve both physical and mental health benefits. This is through our equine services for both our participants and volunteers.

We run a very successful and unique supported volunteer programme 

We offer support for persons living with Dementia and their family or carers through our Tea with a Pony service.

We offer therapy sessions in the community through a visit with our therapy pony Acer  

We offer the opportunity for volunteering which provides a sense of purpose and achievement. Our volunteers become part of our community, make friends and benefit both physically and mentally 

We are one of the largest purpose-built RDA riding centres in the country and the services we provide are both unique and inspirational.

We offer health, social and employment opportunities in our region.

We offer the opportunity to volunteer with its associated benefits to the individuals  

 

Who will deliver?

The Board of Trustees, the dedicated staff team and our army of volunteers who assist within the centre or further afield through fundraising 

 

How?

Through our recovery plan we will ensure the future of the Centre

We need to

1)Increate our activities and turnover 

2) Increase our equine team with some larger weight carrying horses

3) Continue to carry out maintenance projects and look at how we become more energy efficient 

4) Continue to source and access grant funding 

5) Continue and improve our fundraising via

• Business sponsorship

• Individuals

• Trusts and foundations

• Statutory 

 

Timescale

Short term goals (within 12 months)

• Increase the number of riding lessons and associated therapy 

• Increase the use of Blackberry our mechanical Horse

• Develop and expand our supported volunteer’s programme 

• Increase our staff team to enable us to deliver the above

• Carry out essential maintenance projects

• Increase our external community visits with Acer our Therapy pony

• Develop a planned series of fundraising events

• Continue to access available grant funding

• Expand and recruit to our board of trustees.

 

Long term goals (within 1-2 years)

• Become more energy efficient and sustainable

• Improve and modernise our facilities

• Develop a sensory trail 

• Expand the services we offer 

 

Where we are now

We have advertised for new trustees and have had a number of applicants who are presenting with a range of skills and experience necessary to expand our existing board 

I have received permission to expand the operations of our board with the creation of subgroups with a membership of user groups, service users and experts in their field to allow us to expand our engagement with the community and be driven by their needs.

 

We have a number of grants in the pipeline and have been successfully awarded a grant from Middlesbrough Council to repair and restore our corrals which at present are flooding regularly We have been nominated by NRG as their charity of the month in their Giving Back initiative with a donation of £500.00.

We have successfully received a grant from Tees Foundation-Millions of £2500 to help us upgrade our website and we are actively engaged now in that process.

The Masonic groups are giving us a huge amount of support.

We have successfully just been awarded £4495 from Darlington Building Society to assist us in expanding our equine therapy programme.

 

Our supporters, who are too numerous to completely list, continue to raise lots of money for us. Pippa with her sponsored ride, Nick and Belle by taking part in the Great North Run and Junior North Run, Ruby completing the Disability Triathlon., LLJ dress down Friday, Cleveland Hunt Pony club raffle, Milbry Hill Whitby with a hobby horse challenge, Nunthorpe and Marton Knitters, Caterpillar workers who painted and restored our stable yard, Teesside University Clothes sale, Gemma and her beautiful hearts, Hendrik from Germany, R Whitfield, Upsall Grange, Stainton Memorial Hall and their community, Mike Akestar in memory of his late wife Margaret, Clinkard Corporation, Lewis Comms, Costain, Masons of North Yorkshire, the Skutterskelf Domino club, Yarm and District Lions, Cleveland Constabulary Charity football match, H Moore and the  list just goes on and on and on.

We are grateful to each and every one of you who support us.

So many people are raising funds for us or so generously donating their own cash to support us.

We are overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of everyone 

 

Our own fundraising events are proceeding at a pace. 

 

 Nicola Wilson, our patron, raising £1005 at the” Evening with Nicola” event.

 Nicola continues to raise money for us at her external events. What a star you are!

 

Our Online Auction of Arts and Crafts raised over £1000.

 

Our Family Dog Show raised £1439.

 

A very successful fashion show was run at Stainton Memorial Hall raising £ 545.10 with staff, trustees and local people modelling for us 

 

A Tack and Tog sale in early November with lots of bargains on sale raised us the sum of £2237.42. thanks to staff, volunteers and trustees for helping with this. Also, all our very kind supporters who provide us with tack items which we cannot always use but they are happy for us to sell to raise funds.

 

We have many more fundraising events organised for the next few months:

• A Temple Spa pamper evening organised for mid-November (thank you Vicky)

• A wreath making workshop for later in November (thank you Carole)

• Pony Rides to Santa and Xmas Fair on the 1st December 

And our 2025 dates are just being organised.

 

With the funds we have received so far, we have done several things some of which include:

 

• New electric fencing for our fields driven by solar panels to allow us to manage the grazing of our equine team and keep them in optimum health

 

• New bridles for all the equine team 

 

• A new saddle 

 

• New waterproof and warm coats for our staff team to enable them to manage the horses and their duties during the cold winter months 

 

• New pony rugs

 

• Carry out maintenance work.

 

• Begin work on our new website. 

 

• We continue our search to expand our equine team to enable us to increase the provision of lessons.

 

• We’re trying where possible to increase the assessments provided for the participants on our waiting list and get them into a regular riding slot.

 

And the list goes on 

 

Jackie Rubin

Chair of Trustees                                                                                                        November 8th 2024