Posted on 13th May 2024
We are delighted to again be asking our members to nominate their amazing volunteers for the ABRS+ Volunteer of the Year Award.
Many of our riding centres rely on their wonderful volunteers, and this is your chance to say thank you for all they do. Nominations close on the 26th May, and the winner will be announced during Volunteer Week 3rd – 9th June.
Nominate your exceptional volunteer HERE.
Kim volunteers at Stoke Lane Stables and was nominated by Kate Kirkpatrick, the proprietor. Kate says of Kim: ‘Kim is just brilliant at everything. She is happy to muck in (literally) at a moments notice and is always happy to be around the ponies. She is the most generous and kind person always making time to support riders, parents and staff. Kim is always available as a shoulder to cry on, a celebrant of all that we do and upholds our fantastic positive ethos that we are so proud of. We couldn’t do without her.
Nell volunteers at Dulwich Riding School and was nominated by another volunteer, who says: ‘Nell is just overall so helpful on the yard, always doing her best. She has such a kind heart and shows it towards every other volunteer so I think she definitely deserves this! She is always kind to everyone and treats all other volunteers and other customers with respect, she cares so much about the horses at the yard and is always so hard working. Nell is always smiling and caring which makes the yard overall such a nice place to be!
Sharon was nominated by a client who rides at Dulwich Riding School, who says that ‘Sharon is such a great Volunteer who really cares for the horses and inspires everyone to do the same. Sharon helps everyone on the yard, and frequently arrives early so that she can do as much as she can.’
Dot Williams has been nominated by the proprietor, staff members and clients of Houston Farm Riding School. They say that: ‘Dot has for many years given up her free time to help at our yard greeting clients, helping with our volunteers , staff , putting on cake bakes & fairs to raise money for our retired ponies, helps set up games & activities for the children during holidays and supported Houston Farm horses & ponies.
Dot is the kindest, hardest working, patient person. She fosters children, looks after her grandchildren and still volunteers to be in the shop at Houston Farm Riding School. She has a lovely way with both the parents and the children as well as all the other clients and staff. She is also valuable when there are children’s parties and helps keep the helpers etc in line. She has a bright, bubbly attitude and always cheers up others. Dot is a hugely valuable asset to the yard for all the reasons above but also because she would happily go to numerous places to source whatever the horses require if it was needed to be collected or it was difficult to source. She supports all the staff, always lends them an ear and great advice.
Having been through all the training for fostering etc she has an amazing ability to get to the heart of the matter and find solutions. All of our clients & staff have a great relationship with Dot, she is always warm, welcoming & helps create a friendly atmosphere at the yard.’
Georgia is a volunteer at Dulwich Riding Schools and was nominated by other Volunteers. They say that Georgia: ‘is always so helpful on the yard and is always so kind to the horses and so kind to new volunteers, making them feel at home. Georgia has a lot of patience when it comes to getting to know people and is an even-tempered, helpful and fun volunteer. She definitely deserves to be nominated in due to her never ending support and effort to be the best that she can.’
Carla, who volunteers at Dulwich Riding School, was nominated by coaches, clients and other staff. They say of her: ‘Carla is truly a ray of sunshine and always brings a fun upbeat atmosphere to the yard. Her love for the horses shines through even on those wet and rainy days. Carla never misses a day and truly brings light to the yard. Her passion for the horses is second to none . She is always willing to take on any task she is asked and is always asking questions to further expand her equine knowledge. Carla is very popular on the yard due to her patience and understanding with other volunteers and the clients. From showing the younger ones how to tack up to showing the clients which horse they will be riding, she always steps forwards and offers her help. The yard works better for her amazing contribution.
Zofia is a volunteer at Dulwich Riding School and was nominated by friends and other volunteers. ‘I just wanted to nominate Zofia and share how incredible she is. Her dedication and positive contributions have made a significant impact on our lives. From her selflessness to her kindness, she always goes above and beyond to help others. Her hard work in transforming the yard into a beautiful and welcoming space has not gone unnoticed. She has created an environment where people can relax and enjoy nature. Zofia’s impact on the yard is truly remarkable, and we’re so grateful to have her as a friend’ and ‘Zofia has had a significant impact on the staff. Her positive attitude and dedication to her work have inspired and motivated the entire team. She always goes above and beyond to support her colleagues and create a positive work environment. Zofia’s kindness and willingness to help others have made a lasting impression on the staff, and they truly appreciate her presence. Zofia is an extremely hardworking and dedicated person, I believe that she deserves to be nominated as she’s an extremely outstanding and selfless girl.’
Bev was nominated by the proprietor of Clack Mill Riding Stables, who said of her: ‘Bev has volunteered for over 20 years and she does everything – sorting out riders when they come, she absolutely loves cleaning tidying, grooms, weeds, and washes ponies. You name it and Bev does it. The other volunteers, helpers and riders all love Bev. She is so kind, thoughtful and has a laugh with them . Bev is like gold dust.
Shelley has been nominated by the Proprietor of Lymm Riding School, who says: ‘ Shelley supports all aspects of the Riding School, from around the Yard, lessons preparing for shows and attending shows. Shelly only started riding 5 years ago and, since then, has had a massive impact at Lymm Riding School. She is very organised, constructive and has bags of enthusiasm for new tasks, from fancy dress attire to show organisation spreadsheets! She is great at forward planning in particular organising the riding school showing season. Shelley is very approachable, caring, empathetic individual who genuinely wants the best for all. Her compassion for others at the riding school can be seen in the lovely annual picture album she produces which captures so many special memories for us all to reflect upon.
We can’t thank Shelley enough for the contributions she has made to the riding school and her ongoing efforts to make our riding school such a special place – THANK YOU.
Shelley has:
– encouraged new riders, both adults and children, to take up the sport.
– encouraged a network of parents to support events and yard activities.
– encourage offsite outings to aid learning and simply have fun.
– organised social events for children, parents, staff and carers which has supported team work on multiple levels.
– evidently cares about staff, always having a listening ear and a genuine interest is staff wellbeing.
– full of positive energy which ripples through the yard despite challenges being faced.
– Reminds people of what a special place Lymm Riding School is and that we should appreciate what we are all part of.
THANKYOU SHELLEY WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU!
Sue has been nominated by the Proprietor of Pinetrees Riding Centre, an ABRS+ member in Portugal. She says of Sue: ‘Sue is a mature lady with grown up children. She is a hugely dedicated volunteer at Pinetrees, helping out on Monday and Friday mornings, so for a total of 8 hours each week, for the last few years. It is a great advantage to have a voluntary person with lots of life experience and wisdom, a benefit which, of course. we do not get with the youngsters. Sue helps give clients a warm welcome and is very aware of safety .
She helps prepare them with equipment, mount and do stirrups, and lead beginners. She also mucks out a stable or two and grooms and tacks up horses. One special task that she has taken on, which is a big help to me, is maintaining the contact listing of our voluntary helpers who do the Friday morning riding for the disabled session with Cerebral Palsy clients from the Faro school.’
Catherine has been nominated by the Proprietor of Follifoot Park Riding Centre. She says of Catherine: ‘Catherine volunteers every week. She is a great team member and always works hard to make the Centre the best it can be. Catherine assists with lessons and makes sure everybody gets a warm welcome onto the yard. She seems to know if a rider or another helper needs extra support and is always there to give it. Catherine has run the ABRS Tests for the past 18 months hereat Follifoot.
She organizes training sessions and test days. She spends time explaining the test system to clients and books them in. She will often come in just to test somebody if they are unable to make the group test session. Catherine running the tests has had a huge impact on our clients. The clients have benefitted greatly from the training they have received and from taking the tests. It has given our riders a great sense of achievement and they have loved receiving their certificates. The staff found the tests preparation helped them. The structure of the lessons improved, with having the goal of the next test to aim for. It is largely down to Catherine that our Centre won the Test League for 2024!
Well done to everyone and thank you for all of your hard work.
