Riding for the Disabled Association
At Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), their horses benefit the lives of over 25,000 disabled children and adults. With fun activities like riding and carriage driving, they provide therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement – all supported by 18,000 amazing volunteers and qualified coaches at nearly 500 RDA centres all over the UK.
Enriching lives through horses
RDA is an inclusive and diverse organisation welcoming clients with physical and learning disabilities and autism, and there are no age restrictions. Through the network of member groups, RDA is at work in every corner of the UK, in cities and remote rural areas, bringing the therapy, achievement and fun of horses to as many people as possible.
The charity’s impact
Committed to researching and measuring the impact of their activities allows their donors to give with confidence; volunteers and coaches can understand the difference they make and – most importantly – riders and carriage drivers know they are getting the best possible experience from their time.
The activities support their clients’ education and learning.
RDA’s research shows that horse riding with RDA delivers physical benefits, boosts confidence, improves communication skills and helps to build relationships. The activities support their clients’ education and learning, and that having the opportunity to compete improves confidence in daily life. Each year they build on their knowledge and use the insight from their research to help them do more of what they do – and to do it even better.
Riders and carriage drivers know they are getting the best possible experience from their time.
JM Finn have been involved with RDA since 2012 when we sponsored the Best Turned Out competition at that year’s national championships. Since then we have helped in a variety of ways including supporting their AGM, attending their gala dinners and supporting the RDA Endurance which, having been embraced around the country, now has 96 registered groups taking part and which we have committed to supporting for the next three years. We have also sponsored a pony at the RDA Lowlands Equestrian Centre for the next three years.
We have now included RDA as one of our offcial corporate charities which benefits from our internal staff fund raising. We look to raise funds via a variety of efforts organised by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee, including quiz nights, cake sales and a silent auction held at the staff Christmas party each year. Our staff have always been extremely generous and long may it continue. All funds raised across these events are split between the chosen charities and we are delighted that the RDA is now included.
Impact at a glance
