Overview
Our aim is to give children with a disability the opportunity to experience the pleasure, independence and therapeutic benefits of riding a horse.
Hope in the Valley Group is a registered charity. We are a member group of the national charity Riding for the Disabled Association.
Our charity is run entirely by volunteers. The trustees, who are also volunteers, ensure the proper running of the charity.
All of our activities depend on the donations we receive. We are always heart warmed by the generosity we see from benefactors, our supporters, foundations and our riders’ families. Please take a look at our Donate page to see how you can help Hope in the Valley RDA continue with its activities.
The national charity guides how we operate. It sets the standards required for our coaches who are responsible for each riding session. Our coaches and key volunteers, such as our child protection officer, are required to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. They do this by attending continuing professional development training. The national organisation provides us with insurance for our activities and is a source of expertise which we can call upon if ever required.
The resources of RDA South East Region are also available to us such as a highly experienced physiotherapist. They also arrange competitions and events for all the RDA groups in the region.
The partnership we have with Plumpton College is very important allowing us to use their facilities so that we can provide riding to local children with disabilities in a safe environment.
Our Facebook page and Annual Review show what we get up to each week and over a year-see the More Information section at the bottom of this page.
Trustees
These are our trustees:
- Lesley Morrill – Chairman and Senior Coach
- Tony Pannett – Treasurer
- Liz Mills – Honorary Secretary
- Sheila Camilleri – Group Organiser, Coach, Child Protection Officer
- Nicola Cramond – Equine Transport Manager, Adviser on Horse Matters
- Margaret Fogg – Adviser on Horse Matters
- Karen Potter – Training
- Miranda Dart- Publicity, Fundraising
- Carol Plater – DBS, Trainee Coach
All of the trustees are elected by the members of Hope in the Valley RDA Group. The trustees are responsible for the charity and they meet regularly to fulfil that duty.
Each trustee brings their own unique skills and experience. We have expertise from teachers, including a special educational needs co-ordinator, and accountancy skills. Other trustees have encyclopaedic knowledge of equines, children, or both.
At the forefront of every decision is the safety and welfare of the children, ponies and volunteers. The progress of our riders and the ponies are discussed regularly along with equipment and the venue to ensure that everything is as it should be.
History
Hope in the Valley was founded in 1968 by Mary Gethen, a night nurse at Chailey Heritage who also ran her own riding school. Her experiences as a nurse gave her the vision of what could be achieved by encouraging disabled children to ride a horse.
The group started riding at Hope in the Valley Stables in Kingston, near Lewes. Supported by her godmother, Julia Roper-Caldbeck, Mary recruited anyone who could contribute in any way. She was enthusiastic and instructed with confidence and an understanding of the children’s abilities.
Her aim was to enable the riders to compete with their peers and so they were encouraged to take part in Pony Club rallies and camps, local gymkhanas, RDA dressage competitions and more.
In 1990, following Mary’s death, the group moved from Lewes to Plumpton College where we have the use of an indoor riding arena. We also have a hydraulic lift platform for mounting, a dedicated changing room and space for our equipment. Parents, guests and volunteers can watch the riders from the viewing gallery- which has lift access- whilst enjoying refreshments.
More Information
Click on the links for more information.
2024 Hope in the Valley RDA Group Annual Review
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HopeintheValleyRDA/?locale=en_GB
Riding for the Disabled Association https://rda.org.uk
Just Giving https://www.justgiving.com/hopeinthevalley