AGM - RDA SE, Riding for the disabled, South East Regional RDA, South East region, Horse riding for the disabled

	RDA SOUTH EAST REGION MINI CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THURSDAY 11TH OCTOBER 2007 MINI CONFERENCE Judi Singer, the Chairman of the South East Region, welcomed everyone to the conference and AGM. She firstly welcomed one of the guest speakers, Rebecca Kemp, the RDA Development Officer whose topic was to be "The Elusive Volunteer". Rebecca Kemp started her talk by underlining the importance of volunteers. For the RDA they are its most important asset; essential to our activity and paramount to our sustainability and expansion. An RDA survey in 2006 revealed that people primarily volunteer because they enjoy working with horses and helping people with disabilities. A pilot project in 2006 showed that groups benefit from outside help especially if they feel rather isolated and felt re-motivated by meetings with National where they can ask questions and raise issues. We need to be aware that there is much competition for people's time and public awareness of RDA activities is obviously very important. Rebecca advised never to turn away a volunteer, even if they can't do much - they can always make the coffee. It is important for volunteers to feel valued and involved in the group's plans. Specific recruiting where people know what they are expected to do is much more valuable and knowing your audience is very important, for example, if you want a cyclist for a driving group, go to a local cycling club. Retaining volunteers is equally important. The sessions need to be fun and they need to feel valued. Matching skills to the roles required is common sense. Talking to them after the lesson over a coffee and perhaps organising a Christmas dinner or something similar all helps them to feel that they are not being taken for granted. Never forget to say thank you. Organisations that can help with recruiting volunteers include RDA National of course, but also the CVS - Councils for Voluntary Service (www.nacvs.org.uk), Running Sports who provide skills and support for volunteers working in sport (www.runningsports.org). The Media Trust offers training courses by media professionals to help with PR, press, marketing, etc. Finally what does the future hold for volunteering within the RDA? A Development Officer and Volunteer Development Manager will work with a large number of groups throughout the UK to develop best practice of benefit to all groups. Management and Volunteer Handbooks will also be produced Judi Singer thanked Rebecca for her interesting and informative talk She then handed over to Jennifer Dixon Clegg from the Fortune Centre for Riding Therapy. Jennifer started by saying that it was as an RDA volunteer that she realised how horses allow people to do, feel and think things that otherwise they would be unable to do. This makes them more receptive, more communicative and better able to concentrate. Jennifer worked as an SRN but was more interested in people's minds than their bodies. At the Fortune Centre people are happy to be with the horses and so they cooperate in order to be able to be with them. Young people of 16-25 years can go on to do Horse Mastership courses at Fortune and so continue to be with them, making their life worthwhile. The Government puts £millions into the centre and each person is funded by them. Fortune is an independent specialist college which offers full time education for the over 16 year olds which they cannot get in a local college. Young people can obviously go to a local college with special needs but some have needs that cannot be met by a college. Fortune have 45 people at any one time for 3 years - all have an individual learning plan - there is no set curriculum and Fortune find out what they don't know e.g. reading, writing, money management, independent travel, social care. Many students have spent their lives having everything done for them such as washing, housework, etc. and need to be taught how to do these basic tasks. The horses are there to attract and motivate young people who have to obey certain rules to stay there such as "No Smoking". Horses also make them get out of bed to go and care for them. The ratio of teachers to students can be one to one or small groups. Horses help people become carers, supervisors and parents. Fractions become more easily understood when you are talking about half a scoop of nuts and geography, more interesting when you are talking about native pony breeds. Jennifer invited people to visit Fortune and thanked them for the many referrals to the centre. Judi Singer thanked Jennifer for her most interesting talk and handed over to Gilly Roper, Regional Instructor, for her report. Gilly reported that all assessment records are now in the National Database. Groups need to ask for a Training Adviser to come and assess instructors. The assessment period of time will now be a calendar year and anyone with one in 2007 must now be assessed by December. New teachers must have a log book and registration form which must go to National with a copy to Gilly after a successful preliminary assessment. They can then start supervised instruction, followed by a further assessment. If a group is going to do a new activity e.g. jumping, the instructor must be assessed for this by their county instructors to ensure it is done properly. Holidays have been difficult to organise and provide volunteers for. In Gilly's group they have done day camps and "Pony for a Day". Gilly urged better communication within groups and between instructors to discuss pony or rider problems. New training modules are arriving - the UKCC (Coaching Certificate). Gilly asked for the names to be provided of those wishing to do the RDAI exam. She also urged visits to be arranged to other groups with different disabilities. There is a weekend training course in North Wales for RDAI. Judi thanked Gilly and then opened the AGM. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1. Apologies were received from Kingley Vale, Sandhurst, Quest, Ingfield Manor, Rocking Horse, Chichester and Cornillo.. 2. The minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 11th October 2006 were approved and signed as correct. 3. Matters arising : none. 4. Chairman's report ( a Synopsis) : Judi thanked all groups for their hard work during the year. The Riding Training Day at Sands Farm in March was attended by 92 riders from most of our 35 groups which says a lot about the standard of training the South East has come to expect and receive. Fun Day was held at Bradbourne and pictures and results can be seen on our website : w.w.w.rda-southeastregion.org.uk. Numbers at the Dressage competition at Hickstead were sadly down this year. Gilly is hoping to do a dressage training day again early next year to encourage groups to come. Judi thanked Fiona Dent, our Dressage Rep, and Pat for all their hard work in putting the day together. It is hoped to do a lead rein qualifier class next year so that riders still on the lead rein could qualify for Hartpury. The Driving Training Day at Sands Farm in July was attended by all but one of our driving groups, who were on a driving holiday at the time. Thanks to Minta Winn and Carol Porter for their organisational skills. Janie Lawson held her annual national riding holiday in July where they used Cranleigh's horses and Bradbourne held a number of holidays as always. Everything the region does in the way of training days, fun days, dressage, etc., is now posted on the website. All but 4 of the 35 groups now take their mailouts by email which makes life easier for everyone. The National Conference is in Belfast on 14/15 November - this will be the last national one as it has now been decided to hold an AGM every year at Saddlers Hall. The conference will become a supra-regional affair which means we will join up with Greater London and South Regions in a combined day. This ended the Chairman's Report. Judi continued with some housekeeping notes: Firstly a message from Angela Figgis appealing for articles for the Annual Review to be sent to her by end of November. Handy Pony props can be borrowed from the Regional stock but are stored at Cranleigh and need to be collected and returned. The regional caravan is also available to borrow for a small donation to Regional funds. We have had to make a nominal charge for today and the lunch is no longer free. The region's coffers are getting smaller and it was felt the time had come for groups to contribute a little more. Also we have slightly raised entry fees to events to help offset costs. National are now paying fewer of our expenses. As per our last mailout we would appreciate a volunteer from each group to help with the running of the day at each event. 5. Treasurer's Report Richard Costelloe, the Treasurer, said that this report summarises the position at the end of the last financial year and this year from April to September 2007. During the period from April 2006 to March 2007 the region's expenses exceeded our income by £8,470. Our income amounted to £6,803 largely from donations, sponsorship and entry fees for the organised events. Expenditure was £15,273 - expenses, events, RDA levy, newsletter, etc. From April to September 2007, the SE Region's expenditure exceeded our income by approximately £2,582 which is as forecast. The levy imposed by RDA National is nearly £1,300 per year. This is being reviewed by RDA National to reflect a more realistic distribution. Details are not yet available but it is unlikely to go down a little. We have received some support from our sponsors again and we hope this will continue in the future. At present, the funds available to the South East Region amount to £29,209. We are in the middle of the pack compared to other regions. RDA National organised a meeting of Regional Chairmen and their Treasurers earlier this year to present new banking facilities available to the RDA Regions. This consolidates the National and Regional funds for a better return while permitting the regions to retain control over their funds. 6. Any Other Business Jennifer Dixon Clegg has leaflets of the Fortune Riding Centre for anyone who is interested. Jenny Brown of Hope in the Valley was on a First Aid course this year and reported that the government are considering an annual test which we should be aware of. Judi called the meeting to a close, thanked everyone for attending and invited them to help themselves to some lunch !