Vote for RDA Centre to win £6000 Natwest Award

With just two weeks’ left for votes to be cast in the annual Natwest Community Force Awards, your chance to support New Lodge RDA Centre, Near Eltham is nearly over.

Founded 30 years ago, New Lodge RDA provides a service for children and adults with physical and sensory special needs and learning difficulties and currently has 12 horses and ponies and a team of volunteers helping to provide lessons six days a week to approximately 100 regular riders.

Thanks to votes cast last year, New Lodge RDA benefitted hugely from a £3000.00 award last year, helping to pay for tack and equipment for a new horse.

Now bidding for £6000.00, manager, Hilary Crawford explains, “New Lodge started 30 years ago and many of the fixtures and fittings are original.  We’ve raised £5000 already towards the £20,000 required to repair the pot-hole filled driveway and replace old post and rails but adding another £6000 to these funds through the NatWest Award will really help get work underway.”

Members of the London Horse Network, an Olympic Legacy project of the British Equestrian Federation have already added their support, and David Gadsby, London representative of the BEF explains, “New Lodge really brings many London boroughs, including that of the Olympic Park in Greenwich, together spreading its work to many children and young adults and drawing volunteers from across the region.  Visited by Lord Sebastian Coe and Lee Pearson CBE earlier this year, the centre demonstrated how the London Olympics has inspired the centre – funding sourced through the London Horse Network enabling volunteers to help train youngsters to reach the RDA National Championships this year.  And, winning this funding will mean all those at New Lodge can be proud of their facilities, not just the work within the centre, and create a safer environment from which to support their community.”

Whether New Lodge is part of your local region or not you can add your votes online by visiting communityforce.natwest.com/project/2343 - you just need to register and verify your email address to vote.  But hurry, voting ends 23rd October 2011.