**Riding for the Disabled (Colchester Garrison Group)** ## **Charity Number 1183361** ## **Trustees’ Report for year ending 31 March 2025** Founded in 1987, the Colchester (Garrison) Group of the RDA has been located at Fletchers Farm Riding School since 2004. We operate on Monday mornings during term time (except the first half of the Spring term) and provide riding experiences for both private riders and children from Lexden Springs School in Colchester. The Group provides horse riding for young children (under 9) on a weekly basis helping the children to gain in confidence and assisting them with their posture, coordination and communication skills. We also make the rides an educational experience, so they learn as they go round making it as interesting for them as possible. **Address:** The Group operate at Fletchers Farm, Rams Farm Road, Fordham, Colchester CO6 3NT. **Trustees:** Ian Gibbs (Chairman), Laura Banning (Treasurer), Louise Wells (Secretary), Carol Hipkin BEM (Chief Instructor), Linda Betchley, Henrietta Drake, Jane Smith and Emma Brice (resigned November 2024). Trustees are generally recruited from the volunteers with the skills they might be able to bring to the board being an important consideration for them being approached. Two new trustees have been appointed since April 2025. **Volunteers:** The Group is well supported by volunteers with 34 volunteers on the books and available during this reporting period, of which 27 regularly attend. **Ponies:** We hire ponies from both the stables and private individuals who livery at Fletchers Farm. The availability of suitable ponies has been an issue for us during this period and limited us on occasions as to the number of riders we are able to cater for. However, we are very grateful for the support we receive from Fletchers Farm Riding School and we remain on the lookout for more ponies. **Riders:** 25 children rode on 29 occasions during the year. We had the use of six ponies at different times during the year but only three were available on most days, a maximum of four available on six days and only two on a couple of days. We held three sessions per day – one for private riders and two for children from Lexden Springs School. At the end of the summer term and the penultimate ride before Christmas we invite the parents to come and watch. **Funding:** The Group has been very fortunate to receive donations from various people and organisations both on a regular basis and as one-off donations and we are very grateful to all donors. We also charge riders a nominal amount per ride and we have held a couple of successful fund-raising events during the year. We were invited to have a stall at the Five Parishes Show in August where we were able to make people aware of the RDA, and our group in particular, raise money and attract support as well as recruit volunteers. **Accounts:** The annual accounts are submitted with this report having been independently examined by Christopher Thomas Accountants and approved at our AGM. **Policies:** The Group adopts the policies of the RDA which are approved at the AGM. Regular risk assessments are carried out on site. The AGM is held prior to the Christmas lunch which means that it is attended by most volunteers, our accountant and a representative from Fletchers Farm Riding School. **Training:** A training day is held for all volunteers at the beginning of each year, a day’s first aid training is arranged for up to ten volunteers every two years, one volunteer is being trained up as a fourth instructor, two volunteers have been trained on safeguarding (in addition to the safeguarding training required by instructors). **Ian Gibbs Chairman Colchester (Garrison) Group Riding for the Disabled** COLCHESTER GROUP RDA CHARITY NUMBER 1183361 RECEIPT5 AND PAYMENTSACCoUTr￿ Iunrestrlrtedl For the year ended 31 March 2025 COLCHESTER GROUP RDA RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT lunrèstrirted) For the y ended 31 March 20Z5 2025 2024 RECEIPTS Aiders VnrestTSrted donations Ilnduding grft a6dtaxl Sales and refundsfor horses Christmas lunch surplu$12024- defi¢itl Interest recewed (gr055 of tsxl Legary Miscellaneous5ate5lfund Triyn8 1365.C¥) 8L2.(M) 2329.50 1280.(X) 3992.(K) 35.20 655.66 13135.00 114.751 781.43 161.31 1382.18 374.91 9819.54 16529. LESS: PAYMENTS Hire of horses Purchase and costsof horses RDA subscriptK)ns Insurances 360.CO 20595.30 2(fl. 2(X).CM) 277.(KS 260.(K) Cornrnunit*ion Costs lÉrflwebsitel Equipment purcha5ed/maintenance Traini DBS Checks etc Misttllaneo¢JslFundraiy•g 222.￿* 270.79 441.84 522.61 849.LXS 5.10 234.84 3265.45 22472.01 SURPLUS11024- DEFicrf) forthe year Bolance brought forward 6554.LYJ 15942.101 39779,$4 33837.44 galance ¢arried f