Riding high with plan to kill weeds
Volunteers at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Orange Centre spend time each week helping children with disabilities by taking them horse riding, and their effort was recently acknowledged with a $10,000 grant.
RDA Orange centre president Pat Frecklington said the money from the Commonwealth Bank centenary grant will go towards weed maintenance equipment at the organisation’s Clifton Grove site.
Mr Frecklington said weeds such as dandelions and Paterson’s curse in particular need to be dealt with, and are an ongoing problem for people on the land and need to be controlled.
“Both those things can be detrimental for the horses health,” Mr Frecklington said.
“[The horses] provide a wonderful service for us.”
Paterson’s curse especially has been found to be toxic for horses.
Mr Frecklington said the RDA has been operating in Orange for 40 years, and aside from initial funding relies solely on donations, with Millamolong Polo and Ashcroft’s Supa IGA as well as other other organisations and individuals contributing.
He said each Wednesday, 45 children with varying degrees and types of disability are led on horses, with benefits ranging from improved mood, balance and muscle development, as well as learning through riding-based educational activities.
The $10,000 grant was one of 1000 centenary grants which are being given to community organisations that benefit youth well-being, access to education, and cancer research and awareness.
Each organisation is selected by bank employees, with the RDA being nominated by the Molong branch.
Molong branch manager Christopher Parkes said it was especially meaningful to nominate an organisation to receive a centenary grant from within the region.
“We’re thrilled to be able to support organisations like Riding for the Disabled Association in the important work they do for our local community,” Mr Parkes said.
Through the CommBank Foundation, more than 13,000 current and retired bank employees donate a portion of their income, with the bank contributing up to an additional $2 million each year.
However, for the centenary grants, the bank donated a further $10 million to the CommBank Foundation.