Young Garden Club Presents Funds To Riding & Driving For The Disabled Young

IMAGE: Members of Young Garden Club hand over a cheque for $750 to Riding for the Disabled Young on Wednesday, August 7.

The Young Garden Club welcomed Janine Osland from Riding for the Disabled (RDA) Young at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 7.

Ms Osland gave a very informative and uplifting presentation to the Club on the background of RDA Young, which started up 42 years ago with students from the former Bellhaven School, Young High, Young North and Young Public Schools and from Lambing Flat Enterprises.

Members learned that apart from horses for riding, RDA Young had a specially designed carriage which allowed wheelchairs to board it so that the participants could drive the carriage.

Ms Osland said RDA was located at the Young Showground, with sessions on Tuesdays and every second Thursday, during school term.

“Currently, there are 68 participants and 14 wonderful, cheeky horses of amazing temperament, who, once in the arena, adjust and interact with each participant as appropriate,” Ms Osland said.

“It is a wonderful thing to see the calming and relaxing effect riding has on the participants as soon as they mount the horses.”

“Riding and driving also work on the participant’s core strength and coordination.”

“Fine motor skills are developed during driving and riding with various games and tasks where the participants can become very competitive and also have a lot of fun.”

Ms Osland believes the RDA activities are hugely beneficial to both participants’ and volunteers’ self-esteem.

She explained how RDA work was not just on the days it was open for sessions with participants, much work also went on behind the scenes in looking after the horses and maintaining and purchasing of equipment.

Items such as helmets need to be replaced every five years, and that’s just one of the ongoing expenses the organisation needs to find funding for.

Ms Osland told the Garden Club that the RDA was in awe of the support the Young community gave to them and other charities.

She thanked the Club for their generous donation of $750, raised at the Club’s Mother’s Day raffles held earlier in the year, and said the RDA team was very appreciative.

Young Garden Club also presented Margaret House Refuge with $750 from raffle fundraising.

The Club will be holding a “Growing and Propogating Tomatoes” workshop at Bunnings on Saturday, August 31 at 10 am.

Phone Helen at 0410 010 897 or Joy at 0415 246 680 for further information on the upcoming workshop or any of the Club’s activities.