ANNUAL REPORT 2012 - Riding For the Disabled SA
Transcription
ANNUAL REPORT 2012 - Riding For the Disabled SA
Riding for the Disabled Association South Australia Incorporated Year Book and Annual Report 2012 Board, Staff, & Auditor ............................................................................... 3 Patrons, Life Members and RDA SA Centres ............................................ 5 State President‘s report ............................................................................. 6 Centre reports: Barossa & Light ................................................................................ 8 Jennibrook Farm ............................................................................. 9 Mount Gambier .............................................................................. 10 Murray Bridge ................................................................................ 11 Northern Area ................................................................................ 12 Oakbank ......................................................................................... 13 O‘Halloran Hill ................................................................................ 14 Port Lincoln .................................................................................... 15 Port Pirie ......................................................... .............................. 16 Riverland ....................................................................................... 17 Victor Harbor ................................................................................. 18 Whyalla ........................................................................................... 19 Yorke Peninsula .............................................. ............................. 20 Financial Statements 2012 (January to December) Vision and Values, Board statement and attendance .................... 21 Consolidated Income & Expenditure ............................................. 22 Statement of Financial Position ...................................................... 24 Notes to the Financial Statements ........................................... 25-26 Report of the Board ......................................................................... 27 Auditor‘s report .............................................................................. 28 Information about Advocacy ..................................................................... 30 Pictured on the front cover : Callum Kemp riding „Calypso‟ led by Ken Bruce. York Peninsular, 2012 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 1 Left: Lizzie Sobecki and Gill Rolton at Government House, June 2012 Below: Mark Boon who devoted many years volunteering in marketing and copywriting for RDA SA with his wife and former State Manager Kay Milton Board members at AGM 2012; from left to right, SA Minister for Sport Tom Kenyon, Deb Ophof, Jill Ribbons [President], Luke Williams, Julie Burns and Melisa Kaharevic Right: Cath Batten of the RDA SA Dressage Committee presents John and Rae Brice with a photograph of the State dressage competitors in 2011. John who was a major sponsor of RDA and owner of the riding facilities at Mallala passed away in 2012 and is fondly remembered by many of our members. Page 2 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Riding for the Disabled Association S.A. Inc. is a Public Benevolent Institution managed by a Board of Management and incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act (SA). Collections for Charitable Purposes Licence No. 593 Registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient Organisation Member of Charity Direct in South Australia ABN 22 616 650 424 REGISTERED OFFICE: 215 Portrush Road, MAYLANDS SA 5069 Ph: 08 8331 1833 Email: admin@rdasa.org.au Web: www.rdasa.org.au BOARD MEMBERS January 2012—December 2012 President Vice President Treasurer Executive Member Board Members Ms Jill Ribbons Ms Melisa Kaharevic Mr Luke Williams [from June 2012] Mrs Julie Burnes Ms Denise Watkins Ms Deb Ophof Dennis Hall STAFF State Manager Finance Manager & Doorknock Co-ord Coaching Co-ordinator Administration Officer Administration Assistant Grants & PR contractor Kay Milton Ella Kos Karen Aspery Rosalee Cearns Theresa Moore Ian Beaton AUDITOR Not for Profit Accounting Specialists, Chartered Accountants Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 3 Celebrating 40 years in South Australia Former State Manager Kay Milton [right, below] receives a commemorative plaque and certificate from Karen Aspery, Stacey Murray and Theresa Moore from the RDA National office. PATRONS Mr John Letts Ms Leigh McClusky Mrs Pat Roberts Mrs Gillian Rolton OAM AMBASSADOR Mrs Cheree Gask LIFE MEMBERS June Boscence Marie Bury June Champion de Crespigny Diana Dahms Margaret Dent Sarah Dridan Pauline Eitzen Lorna Ellery Helen Fry Ann Grear Brenda Harding Rex Lipman Josephine Lipman Margaret Lee Bob Lemmon Joan Lemmon Vicki Lovegrove Alice Mibus Gillian Mitchell Judith Munro Dorothy Roberts Jill Ribbons Jill Shelton Gloria Sztekel Michael Sztekel Rachel Vincent Pat Warde Vivienne West Phyll Whellams Page 5 RDA SA CENTRE LOCATIONS Barossa & Light Barossa Pony Club Grounds Angaston Road, NURIOOTPA Jennibrook Farm 5 Pine Road, WOODCROFT Mount Gambier Sunnybrae Centre Wandilo, via MOUNT GAMBIER Murray Bridge Bob & Ella Nance‘s property, 1 Coolibah Drive, MURRAY BRIDGE Northern Area Northern Adelaide Regional Horse Centre Cnr Whites and Ryan Roads GLOBE DERBY PARK Oakbank Oakbank Racecourse, Shillabeer Road, OAKBANK O‟Halloran Hill 3a Majors Road, O‘HALLORAN HILL Port Lincoln Ravendale Pony Club Grounds Proper Bay Road, PORT LINCOLN Port Pirie Senate Road, PORT PIRIE Riverland Old Berri Racecourse Moritz Road, BERRI Victor Harbor Victor Harbor Riding Club Grounds Bacchus Road, VICTOR HARBOR Whyalla Racecourse Road, WHYALLA NORRIE Yorke Peninsula Old Kadina Racecourse Wallaroo Road, KADINA Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 comfortable. Another great group of volunteers with passion and focus and dedication. RDA Yorke Peninsula now have their own site very close to where they were co-located with the local pony club. A ―green field site‖ with lots of potential. They have made an impressive start with innovative and imaginative volunteers to make it happen. Strategic Plan One of our ―dreams‖ by 2015 was for RDASA to ―Operate with covered arenas‖. We have commenced that journey and to date we have received considerable funding amounting to $300,000 from both government and non government. This sounds like a lot of money but this barely covers the costs for two of our centres. This is a good start but there is still a long way to go to realize our ―dream‖. We started the exercise of analyzing statistically our membership and rider bases. As an ongoing exercise our determination of where our strengths and weaknesses lie and where assistance is needed, will aid us in developing a stronger sustainable organization for the future. Centres on the Move RDA Victor Harbor relocated to a new site and within a very short period of time were operating at their new location at Morgan Park. The enthusiasm and energy of the Victor Harbor group was amazing. They garnered a huge amount of support from their local community to assist in the move and the development of the new site.. RDA Mount Barker (now called RDA Oakbank) negotiated a move to the Oakbank racecourse. They have operated for a number of years at a leased property with minimal facilities. Having access to a club room, a toilet block, hot and cold running water will make their lives so much more Page 6 Constitution & Agreement Our new constitution and associated ―Agreement for Centres‖ were approved at our AGM in May. The AGM was held at Parliament House with both sides of government giving short presentations and indicating their support for the ongoing work of RDASA. After the meeting Dr Duncan McFetridge MP, Member for Mawson, hosted attendees on an enlightening visit to both houses of parliament. Rider and Volunteer Numbers Our statistics show that both the number of riders and number of volunteers have come to a plateau. While some centres have waiting lists for riders others have declining numbers. It is an ongoing challenge to both source and retain volunteers, and we must put strategies in place to ensure our volunteers are not burnt out. Competitions Our relationship with Special Olympics continued in May when we hosted Western Australia at the Invitational Games. Very successful Mounted Games and State Dressage competitions were held and it was wonderful to see a number of new faces amongst our riders, many of whom had never been in a competition before. It was heart warming to see the enormous smiles on their faces as they were awarded their ribbons. 40th Anniversary In 2012 we celebrated the 40th anniversary of RDA operating in South Australia. We held a special recognition night for some of our volunteers with a reception at Government House. His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce spoke highly of the work achieved by RDASA and invited everyone to enjoy the visit and soak up some of the history of our State. We also produced a history book entitled ―Keep Moving Forward‖. The title was part of a catchcry used by Tom Roberts OAM who was the very first patron of RDASA. His widow Pat has continued the Roberts family support of RDASA and is one of our current patrons and she always says to us ―keep moving forward‖. Fundraising Activities Our Quiz Night raised $‘s as well as a lot of laughs with our ―master‖ quiz master Phil. He manages to deliver the most ―obscure‖/quirky questions you could think of. ―A Day at the Races‖ at the Morphetville racecourse also delivered much needed funds. We had a three course lunch in a pavilion allowing excellent viewing of the races. The then Minister for Disabilities, Ian Hunter attended and was very praiseworthy about the activities of RDASA. Volunteers & Staff A huge thankyou for the dedication and efforts of our all volunteers across the State, and our team of staff who provide excellent service to everyone. We are a good team and Team Effort certainly Achieves More. I certainly look forward to working with our inspirational organization for another year to continue to Rejuvenate, Develop, Advance, Sustain and Add value so that we are still here for the next 40 years. Jill Ribbons President Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Clockwise from above: Victor Harbor at the official opening of their new centre; Daniel Clarke riding at Victor Harbor; Rose from State Office showcasing RDA SA during 2012, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherall with Smiley. Page 10 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2010 RDA BAROSSA & LIGHT T he Barossa and Light RDA Centre has had a consolidation year; we welcomed new clients and volunteers and had a good continuation of support from our existing volunteers. Highlights for the year were:: Successful completion of our accreditation audit from RDASA. Three coaches, Laurel, Sally and Kathy in training Coach Natalie continuing to drive our programme in her usual professional manner. The committee continues to look at ways of improving our centre: we have been successful in receiving grants for a new PA system and are awaiting notification of a grant application for a client shelter. Our fundraising has been successful with collections from The Day on the Green and donations from ‗Sheilas in the Shed‘ and Maggie Beer helping our finances. I would like to thank the committee members for their continued support and time, particularly Sally our Secretary who works tirelessly on our client days and during the week on general management of the centre. Also thanks to Luc, who now has MYOB under control and a special thanks to Laurel and Kathy for their work on Mondays at the centre. Thanks fto all our volunteers for their continued support Andrew Murphy President RDA Barossa & Light Special thanks to Natalie our coach, without her work we would not have a centre. In 2013 we hope to: Run a major fundraiser with the help of the Beer family Install a shelter for clients Purchase one more horse for our program Sheila‟s In The Shed #3, held in the Gomersal Community Shed during May 2012 was a great success. The fundraiser, organized by Sharee Schmaal and Marianne Braunack, raised $1,500 for Barossa and Light Riding for The Disabled. Sally McKenzie of Gomersal is secretary/volunteer for Barossa and Light RDA and the major raffle prize was a signed print “The Approaching Storm” kindly donated by photographer Dragan Radocaj. Page 8 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA JENNIBROOK FARM Sadly, we said farewell to our President, Graham Crouch this year. Graham has been our President and stalwart volunteer at Jennibrook Farm for many years, undertaking a multitude of jobs from feeding the horses, to maintenance jobs; from building projects to the office administration; from leading in the lesson to planning the annual Christmas party for riders. Graham‘s legacy will live on at RDA Jennibrook through the numerous projects he has initiated and seen to fruition. This year‘s projects at Jennibrook have included: Upgrading the horses feed bins and water troughs – a minor task perhaps, but one that has ensured a reduction in horse related illness this year with only one minor case of sand colic. Clearing the front of the house of brush and tree stumps in preparation for more car parking space. Installing our new RDA sign Revegetation of our pastures (still in progress) The Coaching Team welcomed new OTC qualified coaches, Pauline Summers and Claire Harvey, who have provided great assistance on lesson days. Our fundraising efforts have been seriously supported by our new Fundraising Sub-committee of Pauline Summers, Cherie Freeman and Sue Schutt and the Ride-athon event helped raise money to improve our riding areas with plans to resurface in the next 12 months. We have also enjoyed great community support this year from the many shops and local businesses that collect donations for us, to the wonderful in-kind donations we received from companies to help build the mounting ramp, and also to the students of Marcellin College who are providing property maintenance labour once a week as a part of their Animal Studies course. The Farm and facilities are looking the best in a long time, our herd of horses are performing well, our rider numbers have swelled, we are progressing through our waiting list every term, and our committee and volunteers have worked as a cohesive team throughout 2012. As always we are inspired by the determination of our riders and with that as our focus we will strive in the coming year to improve our facilities and opportunities for our clients to achieve their goals. Lorna Ellery President and Coach Installation of our new mounting facilities – a major project undertaken over the Christmas break and many years in the planning. Coaches, Lorna Ellery, Merridee Parker and Karen Aspery have worked tirelessly this year to deliver lessons and prepare Jennibrook riders for competitions which this year included the Mounted Games and Special Olympics Competition (where Jennibrook loaned horses to the visiting team from WA); the State Dressage Competition, our local Ride-a-thon and we are very proud of our first RDA rider to attend a National RDA Championships, Andrew Tanner on our very own RDA Cherokee. Jennibrook Variety picnic, 2012. Claire Harvey, Karen Aspery, Lorna Ellery and Graham Crouch. Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 9 RDA MOUNT GAMBIER 2012 was a good year in regards to client numbers. Tenison Woods College came on board with 16 clients from the Special Learning Educational Centre and it put numbers up around the 25 plus. This made it more interesting for the coaches having a variety of different clients to teach. Fundraising was excellent due to outside donations from a variety of sources. One being the CESSNA 185 Club. This association is a group of CESSNA plane owners who fly in to a nominated place twice a year . Last year one of the places was Mount Gambier . They held an auction at the dinner and RDA MTG was chosen to be the recipient of the funds made. We received $4185 from the auction. Thanks to this money we were able to purchase two horses ―Joey Tomado‖ and ―Riley‖. These horses were a valuable addition to the horses at RDA. The remaining funds helped purchase a large amount of quality hay. We held a gymkahana ( not held for many years) in August. Despite the weather it was well attended and it is planned to keep this going yearly now the programme is in place. RDA Mtg did well financially as well. A big thanks must go to the dedication of our coaches and volunteers whose efforts certainly are appreciated by the clients and committee. A huge thanks to Des Lattin and the Lions Club of Mount Gambier members who organize and keep the maintenance up around the centre. A big thank you to the Committee for their efforts during the year especially during the times I have been away. I am leaving the area and returning to Adelaide and thank all for the support while as President. I wish you all the best for the future. Leigh Wheatley Mount Gambier Dressage riders: November 2011 Page 10 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA MURRAY BRIDGE It is our 26th Year of operating for the RDA in Murray Bridge being held on our property at 1 Coolibah Drive, Murray Bridge. The horses are happily stabled on site making it very convenient for access on session days. At present we have 6 horses for RDA which are used for 2 sessions and consist of 6 riders. Adults on Wednesdays and juniors on Thursdays. We have a good happy and proficient band of volunteers and myself as coach. The saddling stalls are in need of a coat of paint as is the mounting portable ramp. Resurfacing of the arena would be great and a cement floor in the storage and shelter shed is planned. Upgrading of the horse yards around the stables is currently being attended to at our expense. A paddock fence has been erected from a private donation from the family of a deceased rider. This was by special request of the Gibbons family. We intend to carry on as we are forever and a day as they say. We have a great band of people who come in and help with feeding the horses 3 times a day as well as rugging. It suits my lifestyle to feed and check my horses at around midnight; it keeps them in better condition to feed 3 times a day, as well as maintaining regular surveillance. I have done this for nearly all of the 30 years we have had the property. It is a lifestyle for myself and my husband and it keeps us young at heart. RDA has been and still is a great joy to our lives as well as a pleasure and definitely benefits our riders with a disability. Ella Nance President RDA Murray Bridge Rose and Theresa attend the Annual General Meeting held at Parliament House Adelaide, in 2012 Page 11 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA NORTHERN AREA 2012 has seen our covered arena project receive a boost in March by Thyne Reid Foundation pledging a large donation if we were able to get our 5 year lease extended. Salisbury Council has agreed in principle in extending that to 21 years and is conducting community consultation as part of the process. Being located on a former landfill has posed construction problems, however, RDASA‘s partnership with UniSA has provided support from a number of students, from environmental to engineering, working on reports required before building applications can be lodged. This has saved the project many thousands of dollars. Thanks to Andrea Duff, from UniSA, for coordinating students and resources for this project. An updated Northern Connector road rail link route through Bolivar paddocks shows that we will lose a large chunk from our paddock. Dept of Transport & Infrastructure stated that the final route will be decided after when funding has been granted. Fundraising Northern Area raised just over $5,000. Thanks to our experienced catering team of Carolyn Slade, Kath Batten, Diane Underdown, Milly Hughes, Betty Field and others, nearly $2,000.00 was raised by catering for the State Coaches Workshop and State Dressage Championships. Xmas Hamper Raffle and Australian Central Community Lottery ticket sales are a good source of funds Bendigo Bank Modbury decided to support our group with a donation of $500, after choosing our group worthy of their support. Thanks to Elena Caputo and Karl Goode from Bendigo Bank. Thanks to HomeStart Finance, which assisted with a grant of $1200 to purchase new helmets and toe-stoppers. Overall our financial position is healthy and we tend to operate within our budget. Our Stock There had been changes in our stock with Sasha, Frolic and Bobby being retired from service. Jock, who had been for sale, received a reprieve after newcomer volunteer Diane Underdown put in hours of training to make him suitable for our program. Sadly, we received the news that Fly had passed away after being retired for a couple of years. Our Committee decided to have a Horse Management Committee due to increased workload. Thank you to Karen Aspery who assisted with formulating the job description. We also thank Diane Turner and Vicki Brooks for looking after our horses over the years. Carriage Driving Carriage Driving has had a boost Getting ready for some carriage driving, March 2012 Page 12 with MacGregor being accredited, in March, enabling 2 carriages to be used again. Newcomers Sam & Storm are yet to be accredited for driving. Although Ebony was accredited for Driving, thanks to John Freer, it was decided that she was more suited as a games pony and finally sold her to a young rider who matched perfectly with her. Jo Anderson and Katherine Raspa attended the National Carriage Driving Workshop in WA in April 2012. Riding Northern riders Natalie Mellors, Sammi Quick and Dian Thalbourne have made achievements in 2011 and 2012 State and National Championships. Sammi Quick also received a medal in the 2011 Special Olympics. Well done to all. Thank you to Jill Shelton for assisting SA riders in the 2012 National Championships. Saturday lessons are well established and plans are being considered to run another class on Wednesdays to reduce numbers on our waiting list, which currently exceeds our rider numbers of 53. We said farewell to Jaana Antilla, OTC Coach, who has moved to Whyalla and will continue her coaching there. We also farewelled Ida Osterberg, a Danish gap year student who spent 4 months with us. Jody Richardson has put her OTC training for riding and driving on hold due to work commitments, but is still helping with feeding and looking after horses. The committee has worked hard over the last 18 months at ensuring that Northern Area continues its good work in spite of the occasional hurdle. It is difficult to thank all in this report, but we are truly fortunate to have our team of volunteers who give what they can, whether large or small, to assist Northern Area make a change in the life of our riders…. and fellow volunteers. You are all doing a great service! Michael Sztekel President Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA OAKBANK I It has been a long year since the last 15th AGM on September 2011 with many highlights and a few lowlights. Horses It was not a good year for the RDA horses. Carlton was euthanized on 16th April 2012, Lauchie was euthanized on 20th June 2012 and Bonnie was euthanized on 28th Sept 2012. Ritchie joined the RDA team on lease from Dana Jeffries on 19th March 2012 but unfortunately did not remain sound enough to continue and was sadly returned to Dana at the end of November 2012. As a result we are now down to 5 horses & with Jimmy turning 28 later this year we are desperately seeking 2 new RDA horses. Fundraisers Since the last AGM we have hosted 5 successful fundraising events, with a total raised of $5371.23 Donations We received donations from Helen James, RDASA and Ann Fryer and the following in kind donations: The Float Centre (fixing/servicing RDA Float); Liz & Richard Ball (professional services, shed, bench); Brooks Carpentry (professional services); Paramount Browns (6 oil drums); Team Poly/ Woodside Irrigation (Automatic water trough); Patrick’s Horse Transport (transported horses to new home); Hughes Construction (significant reduction in cost of rubble); Allsigns (2 new signs); Norman Waterhouse (Probono advice); Tony Roma (professional services); Tom Ayres (professional services). Events/competitions Due to the loss of 3 horses we were unable to send a team to the Mounted Games/Special Olympics or the State Dressage Championships this year, however both Liz and Lisa attended these events either in the capacity as judge/ official or to lend support. At the beginning of September 4 students from Flinders University came out to our site at Wistow to film a new promotional video for RDA. The second cut looks promising; we are looking forward to seeing the final version. Page 13 The Big Move The biggest news this year has been that we have relocated to Oakbank Racecourse. It has always been RDASA’s mission to have all of its centres operate out of property that is not owned by a private individual. RDA Mt. Barker had been in liaison with Mt. Barker Council for a long while, trying to find suitable Council land for us to occupy, however Mt. Barker Council were not coming up with anything. To this end Marie Roma, one of our committee members and long term volunteer, took on the task of finding us a new home. The result has been Oakbank Racecourse. Whilst the racecourse is not owned by the Council, it is run by a committee and has been in existence on the site in Oakbank for 135 years. We also share the facilities with the Onkaparinga Pony Club, which holds rallies on the site the first Sunday of every month. The move to Oakbank was organised and coordinated by Marie Roma. The 2 sheds, pergola and portaloo were all deconstructed from the site at Wistow & reconstructed at Oakbank. The entire feat took only 4 weeks (14th September to 16th October) to complete. We hosted a thank you BBQ and presentation of gifts on Sunday 28th October for all those who had come out to help or who had donated goods, services or time to the project. The weather was perfect, the food was excellent and a good time was had by all. Getter award for carers/volunteers who work with people with a disability, I nominated Marie Roma for her part in the move from Wistow to Oakbank. Both RDA Oakbank and Marie Roma were successful and the awards ceremony was held at Stirling Library on February 22nd 2013. Liz Ball – RDA secretary and coach It is with regret that we accept Liz Ball’s upcoming sabbatical. Liz has been on the RDA Oakbank (formerly Mt. Barker) committee for 7 years and has been secretary for the past 4. Liz is also one of our coaches and has been doing more than her fair share of the workload. Liz will still be around to step in should we be down a coach, but the aim is to let Liz have a well-deserved break from RDA, in the hope that one day she will feel refreshed enough to return. Thank you Liz, from all your friends at RDA Oakbank. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other Coaches and Committee members for the tremendous job they have done throughout this past year. I have appreciated the opportunity to work alongside each one of you. I would also like to thank all the volunteers who come each week, for the great job they do. Without them there wouldn’t be a program. Lisa Burd, President The move from Wistow to Oakbank has resulted in a change to our name. We are now officially known as RDA Oakbank. On behalf of the clients, parents, carers, St. Patrick’s Special School , Cornerstone College, the volunteers, the horses and the rest of RDA Oakbank committee; I would like to extend our gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Marie Roma who put her own life on hold to put in endless hours to make this happen. Thank you Marie! Awards I made 2 nominations for the Adelaide Hills Council Mayors Awards for the International Day of People with a Disability. The first was for the Inclusion Award for groups improving the lives of people with a disability, I nominated RDA Oakbank. The second was for the Go Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA O’HALLORAN HILL The past twelve months have been both challenging and rewarding. Much has been achieved. Our administration building is progressing well, we are now at the stage of sanding and painting the gyprock; the disability toilet is almost complete. Our thanks to Marion Council for their continuous support of us with weed spraying and slashing. We were also fortunate to receive a grant from the Council which provided our hot water service and the tiling of the disabled toilet facility. Another major donation, previously made a year or two ago, by Springfield Small Charities has been instrumental in completing the disabled toilet area. A major highlight involved the Abbey Group which is responsible for the Southern Express development. We were at a stage where we could not progress our indoor arena when through the assistance of Alan Sibbons MP, we were contacted by the Abbey Group [Mr Mark Sabolch] who offered to assist us with earthworks. This group which donates one or two days a year to community projects, have offered to give a great deal more time to our Centre, and to date have already spent several days assisting with the arena and other earthworks on the property. Another highlight was the success in being awarded a major grant from the State government for the construction of an indoor arena. Unfortunately we still need a further significant amount to provide an adequate fire fighting ability which will include the provision of large water tanks and pumps. We have also been extremely fortunate in receiving a generous donation from People Choice Credit Union which has enabled us to complete many tasks involving our new building, including the provision of a septic tank. Our thanks to RDA SA state office for organising this donation. We have welcomed a number of new volunteers and see the return of two who were with us at Blackwood; thank you for your hard work. A fundraising Committee has been established which has been achieving remarkable results, and we are most grateful to those volunteers for their efforts. Our thanks to Rob McBryde our Project Manager for his expertise, guidance and patience in the continuing development of our Centre. To our coaches, thank you without you we could not operate. Your diligence and care shown to our riders is something to be proud of. I would like to thank every person who has made the commitment to help with the building of our new centre, without you we would not be able to continue. In closing my sincere thanks to fellow committee members, coaches and volunteers for helping to make my role as President so rewarding. The future is promising, there will still be many highs and lows, but you have all proved that anything is achievable with dedication and hard work. Thank you to all of you, the future of O‘Halloran Hill Centre is with all of you. Patricia Warde President RDA Blackwood Trail riding at O‟Halloran Hill, 2012 Page 14 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA PORT LINCOLN Our RDA year commenced, as it has done for the past few years, with the manning of the Tunarama Information Tent which, as always, was organised by Vicki Gould and with help from the whole team, it ran like a well oiled machine. After discussions it was decided that this would be the final year for RDA manning this tent. Well done to all who helped. February was an exciting month as our centre featured in an ABC television report which aired on several different programs including 7.30 SA and Behind the news. This year we also welcomed a new group of riders from the Kirton Point School with several students showing great skills very early on. In March Berni Kane and I attended the Centres forum in Adelaide. It was great having different people attend the forums and meet others from the organisation. As in the past each term begins with volunteer training taking place on our first riding day of each term. This is a valuable time to reconnect after the break, run through the proposed riding plan for the term, and receive valuable feedback form volunteers about these plans. From there any adjustments are made and the term begins for riders in week 2. May saw the success of the Long Lunch and many hours of work went into the planning and executing of this huge operation. Again, well done and thank you to all involved. With the highs come the lows and we lost an RDA favourite with the passing of Jack, an old grey gelding who was struck down by colic. Thanks for your service and rest in peace. The National Coaching Workshop was held end June start July and was attended by some keen trainees. This trip proved to be a very motivating experience for all and this is terrific to see from a Coach Educator point of view. The group came home with renewed vigour and some great new ideas. Sadly, our two level one trainee prospects have been caught up in the frenzy of everyday life and family and have not continued their training of late. Hopefully this will change in the future and we will be once again blessed by their presence. We wish them luck and hope life returns to something like normal. In September we held a fun day at the centre for the volunteers and theirs families. Well done to those who organised activities etc and lots of fun was had by all. Even the baby goats were a hit. October saw the visit from Pt Augusta Special School who do not have access to a RDA centre and loved their rides when they came to Pt Lincoln for a camp. Smiles on children‘s faces always warms the heart. Also in October Berni sat the OTC assessment and also passed her Lunging the Horse assessment. Well done Berni, you handled the training and assessment process very professionally and it was my pleasure to welcome you to the coaching crew. Since then Berni has been a huge help in all the classes and I think we work well as a team. November was the annual volunteer Christmas dinner which was well organised and well attended having dinner and drinks at the Navigators restaurant. Carols on the foreshore followed in December with much needed funds raised to support our families by helping out with the registration fees for 2013. Several friends pitched in and evacuated all the horses during the Sleaford/fisheries fire and their prompt action was much appreciated by the team. The horse numbers have stayed pretty much the same this year with some horses not making the grade, some benefiting from extra training with Kathy and one sadly passing. Kathys help this year has been two fold.—training for horses and training for trainee coaches and other interested volunteers. The end of the year was marked by the much loved giving of medals to our wonderful riders. Seeing the delight in their eyes as they marvel at the medals around their necks is enough to bring a tear to the eye, several times. Thanks to the wonderful team of amazing souls who give a little of themselves to help make life a little brighter for others less fortunate. I thank you all. Jodie Porter President/ Chief Coach Jodie Porter President & Coach RDA Pt Lincoln May 2012: Receiving a big cheque from the Bendigo Bank! Page 15 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA PORT PIRIE . Over the past twelve months RDA Port Pirie has continued to provide equestrian activity for persons with a disability. HIGHLIGHTS O F THE YEAR Three riders attended State games in Adelaide and received medals for their efforts. One rider attended State Dressage at Mallala and received two places Judy Hodgson completed her Level O as a riding coach. Riders numbers have increased. Page 16 Carriage Driving has begun with 6 drivers taking part Grounds have been improved with new storage area for building materials, undercover viewing area for carriage driving / western trail clients now allowing a great view of proceedings. Bill Rogers President I would like to personally thank all volunteers for the support of untold voluntary hours that are given to improving our facility and running our programs. I would like to wish the committee all the best for the new year and the incoming president has the support that I have received from volunteers involved. Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA RIVERLAND In 2012 we had a mixture of success and also some hard times with sick animals. We have also had some fantastic community support along the way. We have moved entirely to the building side of the property now. Our night yards have been completed with sturdy rooves, our new arena complete with sand, and our round yard is in and ready. The old maintenance room has been converted to a tack shed and our spare saddles are stored in the training room, and we are completely secure and weather proof. We have been through another centre accreditation late last year, we have retained our level 1 centre of excellence. The centre has welcomed some groups through to help us out this past 18months - Guides and Scouts have both been in and helped do some painting of ground poles and tidy our new equipment shed. We have been very lucky this year having some great donations come in. Lois Gray at the Barmera Disability and Cancer store has now topped up their donations to $10,000, Berri Pacemakers Bingo Club generously gave $9000 at the end of year bingo, Barmera Lions gave $1,500 to help out with the general upkeep of the facility and Ray White Renmark gave $500 to help us on the way to the state mounted games. Without everyone‘s kind donations we would have to charge our clients a lot more for the service we offer. Thank you to all that continue to support us. Tri State Graphics and Devillees came on board early last year and helped us out with sponsorship for our mounted games shirts and we all looked a treat when we headed to Adelaide in May. What an event we had, combining with Barossa and Light RDA to make a full team. We looked a million dollars with the horses colour coordinated to our shirts. Our three riders did us all proud and together with Natalie Mellors‘ troupe came home with the overall winners‘ trophy. Our success doesn‘t stop at the mounted games, Will Mowbray travelled down to the State Dressage in September with horse Sammy. Mary, Sharon and Wayne were all on hand to help out. All was going well until Sammy decided the indoor arena was not as much fun as first thought and played up for poor Will who also had learnt the wrong test. So, the baby sitting horse Zac got a pommy bath and Will learned a new test in no time flat. All went like clockwork second time out and Will came home state champ in his division, congratulations to all involved it was certainly a wellearned win. The centre undertook our first major fundraiser this year, and what an event we staged. The beautiful Tracy Rains and her band Claypan travelled up and played at the Berri Town Hall for us. We had a raffle, silent auction and we put on a fantastic meal. All up we made around $1200, thanks again to Brian who was instrumental in getting Tracy up here. Massive thanks to Tracy and band for supporting us in our endeavours, a great time was had by all. Going forward this year looks to be starting a little bumpy with the Tans Pacific Waste plant going ahead across the paddock. Hopefully we can work together for the best outcome possible. On a happy note we seem to have found some more dedicated volunteers that are helping out on the feed roster with animal care; we can be very proud of the good name we have built up over the last few years, this is a direct result of a happy, healthy centre. Jodie Pearn President Jodie Pearn President RDA Riverland The Riverland RDA team at the Mounted Games, 2012 Page 17 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA VICTOR HARBOR The last eighteen months have been one of growth, interest and a great deal of excellent achievements. On behalf of the RDA Victor Harbor Committee, we would sincerely like to thank all our volunteers and supporters for their dedication, hard work and support; it has been very much appreciated. Together we have achieved a great deal at our new centre at 125 Lipizzaner Drive Morgan Park including: The completion of the original double shed/ activity room with special all weather verandah to protects the clients and parents Installation and completion of our transportable clubrooms associated changes inside and out including the purpose built verandah grassed area with ramp running down it to the original shed. We also completed the outside disabled access toilet. Semi completion of the arena surface, the arena itself has also been fully fenced, gates fitted and kick board installed to complete design functions of an arena. All weather road has now been cut/laid to ensure vehicles can obtain access to the centre during the wet months. A lovely new horse ‗Cool Hand Kate‘ on lease for two years, now in full training and working well at all levels. General painting of transportable, verandah and the new disability access toilet, ably completed by the Church of Christ Men‘s Group and some of our volunteers. The old faithful ‗Tardis‘ has now been plumbed into new septic system giving RDA two outside toilets and one inside toilet. Future projects include: The cover over our arena within the next twelve months [funds permitting] Completion of the fence line on the leased area complete with three extra gates All weather cover for the horse stalls under negotiation with Stratco to supply material with Rotary and our own volunteers constructing the covers Urgent need for an extra 10,000 litre rainwater tank to ensure our water supply to the transportable and two extra toilets. John Vincent, President Left: Vaulting at Victor. Page 18 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA WHYALLA There have been many ups and downs during the last 18 months. One of the downs was an unfortunate incident with our coach Jill, when she received an injury that placed her in hospital for a few weeks. Unfortunately her recovery from this injury will take many months. This resulted in the closure of the Whyalla centre for a short time. Fortunately the founders of the centre, Bob and Joan Lemmon, here to see their family, stepped in to take over the coaching for the remainder of the term. Joan and Bob have decided to hold their travels for a few months to help this centre get back on its feet and we thank them sincerely for this sacrifice. Over the last couple of weeks after extensive advertising, we have been successful in obtaining two extra willing volunteers as trainee coaches. We have been looking for horses to replace our older ones, and also a horse suitable to carry heavier weights as we have some clients who are above the weight our current horses can carry. During the last 12 months we have had four horses here on a trial basis, but unfortunately none have been suitable for RDA work. I would like to thank all the volunteers for the many hours spent in trialing these horses to see if they would be suitable. Jill has been called upon to talk at many schools and organisations at their functions in the community about RDA Whyalla. This activity is probably not recognized by Page 19 many people and I would like to thank her for her tireless efforts. To the RDA Whyalla committee members thank you for your time and energy, especially to those who are doing two tasks or more. I trust this year more people will join the committee to help spread the work load. Maintenance The covering over the maintenance work area is 80% complete. Excavation work has started on the foundation for the activity shed. As usual there are many small repair jobs which have kept our volunteers busy in an endeavour to keep the centre safe and tidy for our clients and horses. We have four people on either the Thursday or Friday from work for the dole participants from Employment Plus, and with the happy band of maintenance volunteers, we were able to complete many jobs. successful, however, because of the lack of volunteers and the amount of help required in this exercise it was very difficult to arrange. Help is always required with the many ideas of raising funds so any volunteers would be greatly appreciated. To our many Sponsors, our sincere thanks. In conclusion, I would like to thank the committee and our volunteers for the strong commitment shown over the last year in striving to better our services and presenting a clean and safe environment for our clients. Ron Spargo President RDA Whyalla As usual the most tedious and ongoing work in the site is weeding and mowing. Fundraising The pony rides at the foreshore Fishy Fringe was a success, with a good time had by everyone. This year we will unfortunately have to miss the Fish Fringe until we can train more coaches and volunteers to assist. The Sausage Sizzles at Stratco are still an ongoing event. Many thanks to the cooks and their helpers. Volunteers attended a few meetings at the Whyalla Drags and assisted them with the catering. This was quite Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 RDA YORKE PENINSULA It has been another busy 18 months. We moved horses on site, started another fortnightly session, continued with the development of the grounds and provided riding sessions to our riders. Well done everyone! However, the ongoing development of the grounds has had an impact on providing riding sessions in term 1 (2012 and 2013) for our riders. Nevertheless, constructing the grounds is necessary to enable us to become a viable and ongoing organisation that will enable us to offer a variety of equestrian activities in the future. Our volunteers are amazing. I sometimes think that volunteers don‘t realize what they actually do - they often think that they only sell raffle tickets or sit on the committee or water trees or pull weeds or feed the horses (and pick up manure!) or lead a horse with a rider or pony rides etc…..but it‘s much much more. Everything that our volunteers do assists in running our centre which in turn enables us to offer a service that is very special, and provides opportunities to others that are often disadvantaged in our community. Thank you all so much Some of our highlights over the past 18 months are: Our many successful grant applications that enable us to develop our grounds Three new riders joining our sessions Riders receiving their achievement certificates at the end of the year Accreditation as a centre of excellence (and that was at the beginning of 2012!) Horses Birthday Party which has become an annual fun time and fundraising event. Our highly visible location has contributed to donations and ongoing support from the community Sara, our new OTC, received a scholarship to help her obtain her L1 qualification (succession planning!!) The attendance of volunteers and coaches at the state coaches workshop Coaches and volunteers making the pilgrimage to Equitana It has been a privilege to serve on our committee and I would like to thank the members for their support over the last 18 months. They have worked hard and are dedicated in their roles, which makes the running and organising of our centre much easier. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of individuals and groups in the community who along with our committee and volunteers have made our centre what it is - a highly visible high profile centre that strives for continuous improvement and aims to provide quality horse riding programs for people with disabilities now and into the future. Andy Ford President and Coach LEFT: Sara Stock cutting a birthday cake at York PeninsulaP Page 20 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 FINANCIAL REPORT RDA SA’s Strategic Vision 2010—2015 Vision: By 2015, we aim for all RDA SA services to be integrated across the state maximising the use of all resources for the benefit of riders and to serve as a sound platform for growth. Values: Planned. All of the actions of RDA staff and volunteers will be designed to assist riders in their continuous development. Volunteer driven. RDA is dependent on the generosity of its volunteers. We appreciate and support their contributions. Professionalism. All RDA staff and volunteers to display the highest levels of professionalism towards riders, their families, each other and RDA SA resources. Empathy. Staff and volunteers will display respect and empathy towards riders and their families. Safe environment. All those who enter an RDA facility will feel physically and emotionally safe. RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION SA INC. BOARD OF MANAGEMENT Your Board of Management submits the financial report of the Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc for the financial year ended 31 December 2012 Board Members The names of board members throughout the year and at the date of this report are: Jill Ribbons Luke Williams [from June 2012] Deb Ophof Melisa Kaharevic Julie Burnes Denise Watkins Dennis Hall [to May 2012] REPORT ON ATTENDANCE AT BOARD MEETINGS No. attended Ms Jill Ribbons Ms Melisa Kaharevic Mrs Julie Burnes Ms Denise Watkins Ms Deb Ophof Mr. Luke Williams [appointed June 2012] Mr. Dennis Hall [until May 2012} No. of meetings held 9 7 9 8 9 6 1 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 10 10 10 10 10 7 3 Page 21 Page 22 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 23 Page 24 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 25 Page 26 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Page 27 Page 28 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Information about Advocacy One of the results from our last client survey showed that our members were uncertain or did not know that advocacy services are available to help them with any complaints they may have. So here is some information for you about advocacy services available in South Australia for people with disabilities. What is an Advocate? An advocate is someone who: · Acts on your instructions; · Support, encourages and stands beside you; · Works solely on your behalf, and; · Speaks on your behalf to promote your ideas and interests. Riding for the Disabled SA accepts and promotes the use of advocates. So that means that when you would like to be helped or represented by an Advocate, we are committed to supporting you in that decision. It would be appreciated though, that if you decide to use the services of an advocate, that you let us know so that we can record the name of the person or the agency that you use, on your file. In that way, we can ensure that there is no breach of your privacy. Who can be an Advocate? An advocate may be a relative, carer, friend, neighbour or someone from an Advocacy Service. For information on formal advocacy services, please phone 1800 088 325. What can an Advocate be Involved in? An advocate can be involved in your support and assist you in a variety of ways: · Support you to ensure your rights are upheld; · Find out information for you; · Be with you at assessments or meetings which concern the services you receive from RDA SA · Help you to provide accurate information; · Help you to tell us your ideas and suggestions for improvement of our services; · Support you to work through a problem you may have with RDA SA , Help you make a complaint about RDA SA or members of our staff and volunteers. How Does an Advocate Support You? Advocates can work in a variety of ways, including; · Over the telephone; · Through supporting you to speak at meetings you may have with RDA SA; · By talking on your behalf to staff of RDA SA . When can You Use an Advocate? You can ask to access an advocate to represent you at any time. Contacting an Advocacy Service Disability Advocacy & Complaints Service of SA Inc. 3/178 Henley Beach Road TORRENSVILLE SA 5031 Phone: 8234 5699 TTY: 8234 2229 Freecall: 1800 088 325 Email: drigney@dacssa.org.au Web www.dacssa.org Page 30 Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc Annual Report and Yearbook 2012 Mounted Games 2012. Below, clockwise, Jess McCall, Natasha Heffernan, Mischa Hooper and Claudia Fox and Paris Webb. Medal winners at the Special Olympics competition run in conjunction with the SA Mounted Games. Above: Kayla Houltham, Andrew Tanner from SA with WA contestants. Right: Matthew Richardson, Sammi Quick, Catherine Viney, Jai Modra and Natasha Heffernan, Daniel Clark and Belinda Fisher