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A visit to the Guernsey Group

October 12, 2023 jillf 0

Guernsey Trip September 2023

Theresa Drake and I had a lovely trip to the Guernsey Group on 27th September to do a couple of coach reviews and also some training. We even had time for a quick visit to Castle Cornet before the sessions started.

Everyone at the group made us feel really welcome and it was lovely to see so many volunteers enjoying the lessons with 4 wonderful ponies. We did some training on leading and it was great to see the volunteers and ponies working together in partnership with each other.

We also got to meet the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Louise Cripwell, who is a regular volunteer with the group.

Congratulations to Heidi Ephgrave and Liz Froome who both passed their reviews with flying colours and a very big thank you to Liz for ferrying us around and providing us with a wonderful lunch at her house.

Karen Howells

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Congratulation to Daisy Britnell

September 5, 2023 jillf 0

Daisy Britnell, a Garsington independent rider competed at the National Championships and was placed 3rd in the G7 canter class, which is a tremendous achievement for Daisy.

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New Chair Elect of RDA UK

August 13, 2023 jillf 0

The Board of RDA UK are delighted to announce the appointment of Helena Vega-Lozano as Chair Elect.
Helena will bring extensive experience and expertise to RDA having served in roles across the private
sector and not-for-profit; and a strong connection to our mission through her lifelong passion for
horses, animals, and the natural world.

As a senior Partner and Consulting Board member at Deloitte, Helena leads the Sustainability
practice across the Finance and Supply Chain business. During her seventeen years as a Partner with
Deloitte, Helena has led numerous programmes for clients, ranging from governance reviews and
designing Board strategy and KPIs through to performance management, HR and talent
management, risk management and controls, and driving technology and digital change.

Helena is also Chair of the Trustees at Mare and Foal (an equine rescue charity) and is a Volunteer
Counsellor for Childline (NSPCC) handling front line calls and digital engagement with young people
using the Childline service.

Helena is excited to join RDA and looking forward to meeting the RDA community over the coming
months:
“I am very much looking forward to meeting and listening to the wonderful RDA participants,
volunteers and staff, and building my understanding of everything you do, so that together we can
harness our collective knowledge and experience to enrich the lives of even more disabled people
through horses.
As a trustee, it is a privilege to be able to blend my business experience with my passion for equines.
There are many parallels between the federated structure of RDA and the network of national and
regional practices within Deloitte, and I am looking forward to drawing on this to help shape the
vision and direction of RDA for the future.’
Helena has recorded a short video to introduce herself. You can watch it here.

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Wellington and Dummer Fun Day

July 31, 2023 jillf 0

Wellington and Dummer Fun Day – 21st June

The day consisted of the Introduction to Dressage Tests 2 and 4, Handy Pony and the Walk in the Woods.

The Wyfold Group have sent an account of the day together with these wonderful photos of their riders, their families and volunteers, giving a thumbs up to the RDA at the Wellington and Dummer Fun Day.

“It proved to be a very enjoyable and rewarding day and well worth the effort of ‘getting it all together!’. The smiles of our riders and the happy faces of our parents were our biggest reward.

These sorts of occasions are very important as they produce memories to be cherished and experiences to be valued.

Sadly only 2 teams turned up, which was a great shame as these events take an awful lot of planning and organisation. However, it did mean that Wyfold carried home a heap of trophies and rosettes which delighted their riders and families.”

We hope Wellington and Dummer organise a Fun Day next year and more groups can go to support such a great day out.