Epsom
Riding for the Disabled News
Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association is
an unincorporated association registered with the Charity
Commissioners (No1073638) and created by constitution adopted
on 9 November 1998. The Charity is also known as Epsom RDA
and ERDA.
The Charity,
which is a member group for Riding for the Disabled Association
Incorporating Carriage Driving (a charity registered under
Charity No 244108) is administered by a Management Committee
comprising the Trustees appointed at the Epsom RDA Annual
General Meeting. The Trustees are:-
Mrs Stella
Milne, Chairman; Mr Ewen Mackay, Treasurer; Mrs Pauline Humphries,
Secretary; Mrs Joanne Lee; Mrs Lydia Fay; Miss Rosie Clark;;
Mr Gordon Thompson, Miss Wing Bo Chan; Miss Elaine Briggs
and Mr Jason Anthoson.
The object
of the charity is to provide disabled people, in Epsom and
the surrounding areas, with the opportunity to ride at the
level of their ability, choice and ambition to benefit their
health and well-being. In working towards this objective we
provide approximately 3,700 rides to 350 disabled children
and adults through the year. We estimate that in purely monetary
terms the value of the service we provide to be in the order
of £100,000 based on the costs of riding lessons in
commercial stables and the specialist nature of the service.
We have over 220 volunteers whose effort and commitment is
greatly valued by the trustees.
The riding
activities that we provide have again increased throughout
the year. The herd of horses and ponies has increased in size
and quality allowing some of our riders to compete in open
dressage competitions, Le Trec and hacking. During the year
a team of seven riders and four horses competed at the Regional
Dressage Competition at The All England Showground at Hickstead
in Sussex and from this two of our riders qualified for the
National Dressage competition at Hartpury, Gloucestershire.
Our annual Harold Newton Dressage Competition has grown in
popularity with riders of all abilities competing and increasing
their confidence, and both riders and instructors learning
from the comments made by judges.
The Properties
sub-committee meets regularly to review progress and reports
directly to the Trustees and the management Committee and
reviews the risk in carrying out works, including the risk
of not doing so.
We rely
on further fund raising to ensure that we can continue the
programme of improvements and before we can significantly
embark on future capital works. The challenge we will be facing
in 2008/09 is to ensure that we achieve sufficient income
to carry out the works planned for the coming year and also
to maintain our ponies, buildings and land in good order.
We have
an up-to-date business plan currently under review to present
to potential donors and sponsors. The trustees regularly review
their responsibilities to ensure that they are carried out
in accordance with the law, with the Charities Commission
regulations and with the requirement of our National Organisation
of Riding for the Disabled.
S
MILNE
Chairman
For
and on behalf of the Management Committee 3 April 2009
ERDA
newsletter Issue1
