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