THREE special guests paid a visit to Saddleworth Riding for the Disabled Association (SRDA) to admire the varied and popular activities the group brings to the community.
The Mayor of Oldham Cllr Jenny Harrison was accompanied by consort Shaid Mushtaq and Youth Mayor Tia Henderson for the trip to Saddleworth Stables in Diggle.
They spent the morning meeting riders and their families, talking to volunteers and learning how SRDA supports children and adults with wide-ranging disabilities.
The Mayor Cllr Jenny Harrison visiting Saddleworth RDA (pictures thanks to Alex Greenwood)
The Mayor presented riders with RDA Endeavour Awards, recognising their successful return to riding after lockdown, specific achievements and participation in the Great Horses 4 Health Relay fundraising event.
As a former Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, the Mayor was impressed by the level of rider engagement, the varied opportunities for personal development, transferable life skills and how RDA lessons can be tailored to meet individual needs.
Alison Pickering, from SRDA, added: “We were very proud of ponies Dylan and Twinkle who looked after their riders beautifully.”
RDA offers fun activities like riding and carriage driving to benefit the lives of more than 25,000 disabled children and adults, delivered by 18,000 volunteers and qualified coaches at nearly 500 RDA centres all over the UK.
Saddleworth RDA is currently recruiting new volunteers to start in September and are especially hoping to welcome more male volunteers to the team. Having positive male role models is really important for young people and a mixture of male and female volunteers helps offer the best support possible.
If you have a few hours to spare on a Wednesday or Saturday morning and would like to know more, call Alison on 07768 986 031 or email rdasaddleworth@gmail.com. No experience necessary as training will be given.
Find out more about Saddleworth RDA on their Facebook page: SaddleworthRDA
