Volunteers Celebrated in Central West Awards Ceremony
Adult Volunteer of the Year – Tracy Lucas
The Chairperson of Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW), Tracy gives her time as a senior volunteer coach with the Mudgee Riding for the Disabled Association, where she helps to prepare and supervise weekly lessons for the centre’s 32 riders.
Her tireless efforts go towards ensuring that riders can achieve their goals, while building friendships and connections with other riders and volunteers.
And the Gold Medal goes to RDA (NSW)! Just letting everyone know we are now a Gold Medal Good Sports organisation.
That means we are ahead of the pack when it comes to being a healthy, safe, inclusive organisation to participate in equine-assisted activities.
What is Good Sports?
Good Sports is Australia’s largest and longest-running health initiative in community sports. A free program for all Australian clubs, Good Sports aims to build stronger communities by championing positive change and helping to create safe and family-friendly organisations that thrive.
Gold Medal accreditation
Being a Gold Medal member means we have supportive, effective policies and action plans in place
around:
Alcohol practices
Illegal drugs
Licensing requirements
Mental health
Promotion
Safe transport
Tobacco management
Supporting junior members
We’re a proud Gold Medal Good Sports organisation! The Good Sports program:
Makes our organisation stronger by reducing risky drinking and creating healthy environments.
Brings in riders, volunteers and sponsors who are attracted to our strong organisation, community spirit and family-friendly values.
Gives us free access to program staff, tools and resources to make our organisation the best place it can be.
Helps us comply with legal requirements.
Help spread the word
The more people know and understand about our Good Sports Gold Medal accreditation, the better it is for our organisation. Take a look at the Good Sports website and tell your friends.
On 27 October 2022 RDA (NSW) Celebrated 50 years of operation “providing horse-related activities to enrich the lives of people with disabilities”. On Saturday 6 May 2023 RDA (NSW) Celebrated the Anniversary of its 50th AGM. This is truly a magnificent milestone for a volunteer-run charity, and is a testament to the past and current volunteers who have selflessly given their time to help people with disabilities – thank you all for giving so much.
RDA (NSW) 50-year Anniversary ABC Radio interviews with Tracy Lucas and Mikaela Worth
Wagga RDA head coach, Darren Judd said they are struggling to source hay. Pictured with volunteer Russell Ubrihien and one of the branch’s 16 horses, Barney.
Farmers across the state are feeling the pinch of high fodder costs, but non-government organisation Riding for the Disabled (RDA) say they are also struggling to source enough feed to keep their horses going.
Head
coach of the Wagga Wagga RDA branch, Darren Judd said the volunteer
organisation received income from the RDA opportunity shop and
catering committee but had also been very reliant on local farmers
donating a couple of bales of hay at a time.
However,
with the drought ongoing it has been harder for farmers to sacrifice
any fodder at all.
“When
hay sheds are full, people say ‘no problem we’ll give you a couple of
bales’, but when hay sheds are getting low and they’ve got stock to
feed it’s a different decision, which is fair, we understand that,”
Mr Judd said.
He
said for the last few months they had only been able to source around
two to four weeks of hay at time to feed their 16 horses, meaning
they were constantly searching for donations or sponsorship.
The charity not able to access government drought-assistance grants or loans because they are not a farm business.
The horses from the Manning Great Lakes RDA branch at Rainbow Flat were evacuated two days before a bushfire came through. Photo supplied.
Olwen Smith, an RDA NSW Director, said their hay shortage was a state-wide problem and some branches had also been impacted by the recent bush fires.
“The
Manning Great Lakes centre was affected by the fires at Rainbow
Flat,” Mrs Smith said.
“Their
horses firstly were moved to Wingham and then moved onto Taree,
wherever they’re safe, but when the horses are moved elsewhere, they
still have to be fed,”
She
said reducing the number of horses was a last resort for the
organisation.
“We
would rather give a loan to a branch (for fodder costs) than lose a
good RDA horse, because these horses are well trained and hard to
come by,” Mrs Smith said.
Mr
Judd said the Wagga branch had more than 100 clients a week, aged
from five to 50 plus, the program having a huge impact on
participants social and physical development.
“It’s
not just a pony ride, everything we do is to help the clients with
their various disabilities,” Mr Judd said.
“It works on their social skills, muscle tone, fine motor skills, even just the interaction between our riders and our volunteers.”
Lillian
Macquarie, 13, is just one of the RDA Wagga participants to see the
benefits of the program.
Her
mum, Lizzie Macquarie said Lillian had been coming to RDA for more
than six years.
“Lillian
has two forms of epilepsy, one form of which causes her to have up to
80 seizures a day,” Ms Macquarie said.
“But,
we’ve found when she’s on the horse she has no activity, so it gives
her brain a bit of a break from it.”
Ms
Macquarie said in these circumstances they were appreciative of any
support RDA received.
“Without
donations we simply cease to exist,” she said.
Get
in touch with your local RDA branch to see how you can help.