What it means to volunteer

We asked one of our helpers to tell us what she gets out of being a helper, here is what she said:

Learn new skills
What have I learnt? – How to deal with varying disabilities. How to care for (including feeding, grooming and exercising) the ponies.

Have fun!!
To be honest – it is brilliant fun and we have such a laugh with the kids. – when do we laugh the most? – probably when hysteria sets in as the rain drips off our faces (good old West of Scotland weather!!). You can also rely on the kids to make you laugh – when asked if my bottom looked big in my very fetching waterproof trousers – a certain Master Tinto replied – Oh Yes Janis!!

Enjoy the fresh air and stay fit
From when I arrive for tacking up (9am) until the last session has finished you are ‘on the go’ – it certainly helps you keep fit (and we do tend to run off the biscuits we have at tea break!)

Make a difference to someone’s life!
I don’t have to say much about the statement above – just seeing the kids faces when they are on the ponies is enough for me.

Make new friends
When I joined a few years ago I knew one person that was in the RDA – from then I have made some brilliant friends – some of which I now see out with the RDA, and a few which I hope will be ‘friends for life’

Be part of something special
It is such a brilliant charity and to see the difference it makes to the children’s lives is what makes it so special.