Life at The Shelley Centre this February

           Ebony’s Blog

          Life at The Shelley Centre 

Chocolate having a look around!!!

With over 150 riders coming for therapeutic sessions every week in term time, twelve horses to care for every day of the year, maintenance on the building, fences, etc and raising funds to do our work, our 90 volunteer team are kept very busy.  I make no apology for again appealing for volunteers to join our merry band of helpers. A few extra hands would be very welcome and I can assure you, it will be rewarding and fun!  Please get in touch with the Centre if you’d like to know more about how you can help. 

As well as our regular therapy sessions we also run ‘Tea with a Pony’ on Tuesday afternoons.  A select team of helpers welcome participants to the yard where they can spend time petting or grooming a pony, often our very sociable, miniature Shetland, Chocolate,  followed by tea and cake.  (photo of Chocolate in the kitchen!).  These sessions are aimed at people struggling with mental health issues, living with dementia or long term illness.   If you, or anyone you know, would benefit from this interaction with horses, please get in touch with the Centre.

As a Charity we rely on fundraising, donations and legacies to be able to deliver our wonderful therapy.  Riders pay a very small fee, but the remainder of the circa £80,000 that is needed to keep the Centre running has to be raised each year.  Anyone who has ever had horses will know just how costly they are – food, tack, farriers and vets fees, etc, etc, plus  we have a Stable Manager to pay along with the stables and paddocks to maintain.  Your support for our fundraising events would be very much appreciated and I know you will enjoy them!

The twelve volunteers enjoying a fantastically fun quiz evening at The Fleece in Boxford

Last month a group of our volunteers went to The Fleece at Boxford to test our knowledge on their quiz night.  A brilliant and fun time was had by all and to top it off an amazing £460 was kindly raised for the Shelley Centre.  This will go towards a new saddle for one of our newer horses, Monarch.  Massive thanks go to The Fleece and the other quizzers present for their donations. (photo below).

Future fundraising events that you may like include:-

Race Night   5th April at Whatfield Village Hall

Stride out for Shelley,   Sunday 4th May.  A spring walk from The Shelley Centre in the wonderful Brett Vale countryside followed by homemade refreshments.

Hadleigh Show, 17th May.  We run a cake and plant stall at the Show and would welcome any donations to the stall as well as buyers on the day!

Details on the above events and online booking on our website, or contact fundraisingshelleyrda@gmail.com

And Stratford St Mary Institute are holding a Quiz Night on 12th April.  This is a ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ style quiz and light supper, with 50% of the profits coming to The Shelley Centre (contact ssminstitute.bookings@gmail.com ).

Website: www.shelleyrda.com

Facebook:  Shelley RDA Centre                                           Telephone: 01473 824172