Country & Western band J.C. King played a gig at the Memorial Hall Charlbury on December 5th and raised £350 for the Group. John Baylis will be presenting the cheque on Thursday December 10th at the Stables
 

Wednesday helper Jane Abraham has raised well over £600 for NYRDA (total to be advised) by taking part in the RDA National Tandem Skydive at Weston on the Green last month. Saturday helper Alex Welke has raised £475 for  RDA National. Both helpers had a fantastic experience and thank everyone for their generous support.
 

Students from the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy will be fundraising for NYRDA and creating a cleaner environment for their community. They are  planning to clean an area in Forest Row in November by picking up all the rubbish and litter around the approach to the recycling centre in Station Road. 
http://www.justgiving.com/CleanerGreeners

 

NYRDA was invited to take a stand at the Witney Countrtwide Equestrian Event, Oct 21st, which was well attended with plenty of special offers for customers. RDA is Countrywide's chartity of the year and we were presented with over £136 raised from customers including the proceeds of a prize draw. Thanks to the Witney staff for their ongoing support
 

NYRDA Trustee Kay Alty was invited back to Cokethorpe School on June 26th to be presented with a cheque for £1000,  a further £1000 was donated to the Nasio Trust which supports the education of orphans in Africa. Pupils and staff had raised over £2000 at 2009 Charity Day, an afternoon of fun and fundraising including a number of stalls planned and organised by the pupils including "Dress Your Teddy"; "Hold your Breath Challenge" and the ever popular cake stall. We thank the Headeacher, teachers, pupils and parents for their generous support


 

The Witney based Hazzaz Belly Dancers, taught by Anna Clifton and led by organiser Christine Clements, will be raising money for New Yatt RDA this season. The group gives displays at local events and are regular favourites in the Witney Carnival parade.  

The 2009 Sponsored Ride Leigh on Sunday 19th April raised over £3800, 130 riders took part in good weather and we thank the local equestrian community for their continued support. See photos on Sponsored Ride page

 

We are looking forward to riding to music again in our sessions thanks to a very generous gift of a powered mixer donated by Leicestershire based The Phoenix Children’s Charity. This organisation raises money around the country from street collections and is committed to supporting the RDA - see their website for more information.  http://www.phoenixcharity.org/ When they heard that our arena sound system was broken they offered to fund new equipment in time for the Saturday Session Christmas Show.  

On Monday Nov 24th, Ed Bracher, CEO of RDA National and Chris Langham, MD of Bambach UK visited NYRDA.  

Bambach have pledged to donate £5 ro RDA for every Bambach Saddle Seat sold into the UK special needs market and the aim of the visit was to see how a local Group operates and to meet RDA helpers and riders. For further information about the Bambach Saddle Seat go to http://www.bambach.co.uk  

 

In June we were awarded a grant of £5,000 from Sport Relief through the Oxfordshire Community Foundation to purchase a new weight carrying cob pony or horse.

 

Our extensive search for a suitable horse ended locally when we were offered 8 year old 14.2hh dun Highland pony. Spitchwick Sea Jasper has arrived at New Yatt RDA to start training for his new job. NYRDA helpers and riders are all eager to meet him and help him settle in.

 

Thanks to the staff of Countrywide, Witney who invited NYRDA to their Equestrian Event on Wednesday. We met many old and new friends and received £40 from the bran tub stall. We were also presented with another full collecting tin from the checkout which contained £71.

 

We have received a very generous donation from Russell Investments towards the purchase of our new pony, Pollyanna a 14.1hh Welsh section D mare  

Summer 2009, New Yatt RDA welcomed two more groups of visitors from Belarus,who have been brought to the UK for a summer recuperative holiday by the Chernobyl Childrens Life Line.

In total 30 young people had a riding experience thanks to the NYRDA volunteer helpers who offered more of their time to put on these extra sessions

 

Topsy was presented with her 15 years service award on Wednesday April 23rd. Former riders Graham and Eric did the honours and many Friends of NYRDA who attended the ceremony stayed for coffee and cake. A lovely article with  photo has been printed in the Oxford Mail

 

We have received a surprise follow up donation from the Rotary Club of Witney who purchased a field shelter for us in 2007. The £7000 fund raised by their 2007 Three Peaks Challenge has been now distributed to local good causes including NYRDA and we thank them for their continuing support.

 

 

At the end of January, Pat Toms received a cheque for £307 from Gill Armstong, Waitrose Manager Witney branch from their "Helping Hands" scheme. Each month the Partnership is giving a share of its profits to 3 local causes and customers are given a token at the checkout to place in the box  for the good cause they most want Waitrose to support. The more tokens a cause gets, the bigger donation they receive. Thanks to everyone who voted for New Yatt RDA

Post script. At the presentation ceremony Gill offered the guests some free chairs which were about to be replaced in the Partners restaurant so we collected a dozen for the Activity Room.

 

The Business Banking team from Lloyds TSB, Witney has transformed the track leading to our carpark.

Under their "Bank an Hour" community scheme they pledged to mend the track and clear the verges. They turned to  bank customer Alan Townsend of Townsend & Rideout for some free advice, materials and labour. Alan in turn encouraged local companies AK Timms & Sons; Electrical Hire & Sales; Smiths of Bletchington and B&E Transport to offer free materials, plant hire and transport.

In the first phase the potholes were filled; surface levelled and drainage gulleys cut. The project was completed on Friday October 12th when 10 bank staff led by Andrew Kirk spent the day spreading shingle, cutting back the overgrown verges and shifting barrows of weeds.