Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Summer 2023

If Blairgowrie Riding for the
Disabled were to sum up the
last few weeks in one word, it
would be “busy”!
After a break since last year, we were delighted
to welcome back pupils from Coupar Angus and
Burrelton Primary Schools in early May – as well
as some familiar faces, some new young riders
joined us and there were huge smiles all round.
The children were able to attend thanks
to a grant from Perth & Kinross Council’s
Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
for Children and Young People, which has
helped subsidise their transport costs for the
coming term.
However, we are very keen to hear from any
local organisations, businesses or community
groups that may be able to support us – either
through funding or the use of a minibus – so
that the children can continue their lessons
after the summer break. If you can help, please
contact our secretary Linda Riseborough on
blairgowrierda@outlook.com
Our new ponies have settled in well and are
enjoying the riding sessions. In addition to
schools, we offer group and private lessons
for children and adults, so we are extending
our season to accommodate more riders.
Lessons are suitable for those with a range
of disabilities, including physical and learning
impairments and autism, so if you’d like to take
part, we’d love to hear from you.
We’ve also held the first of our Tea with a Pony
sessions, which went down very well! Aimed
PAGE 54
at those with dementia and similar conditions,
our visitors are treated to a slice of cake and
cup of tea as they interact with our ponies. It’s
a fabulous activity for those who are not able to
ride but enjoy revisiting memories from years
gone by.
If you’d like to find out more, contact us at
blairgowrierda@outlook.com and keep an eye
on our Facebook page for more details.
We’ve been delighted to welcome a number
of new volunteers in recent weeks, who come
from all walks of life. If you’re interested in
joining, do get in touch – no pony experience is
necessary, as we have a range of opportunities,
from helping out at fundraisers to raising
awareness of our group.
Lessons are
mainly held
on Wednesday
and Thursday
mornings,
so if you are
interested in
helping out with
those, pony care
or pooh picking
our field, we’d
love to hear
from you. Our
ponies (and
volunteers) are
very friendly!
Have you tried
our monthly
prize draw yet? The Clip Clop Club 100 is
proving very popular with great cash prizes up
for grabs. It’s very simple to take part – visit
https://blairgowrierda.co.uk/clip-clop-club-100-
draw to find out more.
And finally, we would like to say a very big
“thank you” to the various organisations who
have chosen Blairgowrie RDA to be the recipient
of their fundraising efforts - we are very
grateful.
Keep up to date with Blairgowrie RDA
through our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/BlairgowrieRDA and our
website at www.blairgowrierda.co.uk