A GROUP which provides therapeutic horse and pony riding for people with disabilities is on the hunt for more volunteers.

Haworth Riding for the Disabled (RDA), which has been operating for 17 years, is keen to take on additional volunteers aged 12 and older to help out at its Vale Mill Lane Stables.

Haworth RDA fundraiser and voluntary coach Jane Lawrence said the group has all kinds of activities to offer people prepared to give their time.

“We help disabled people participate in horse riding as therapy by leading horses in lessons, and also walk by their side to make sure they feel safe and secure while on horseback,” she said.

“Volunteers can also groom horses, feed them, help muck out the stables or support us by serving refreshments from our coffee shop.

“We’re looking for any kind of time commitment people are willing to provide.

“At the moment we have about 15 active volunteers but we operate seven days a week, with our busiest days being Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.”

Miss Lawrence explained Haworth RDA runs after school and holiday clubs, as well as a lunch club for adults with disabilities.

She said the group, which currently caters for 95 riders, is very unusual as it is one of only two pony clubs in the UK solely dedicated to people with disabilities.

Fifty per cent of the riding group’s activities are funded by the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Grant.

Volunteers do not need qualifications, though adults would need to undergo a DBS check – formerly known as a CRB check.

People interested in volunteering can contact the stables by e-mailing info@haworthrda.co.uk or can call 01535 649448. They can also visit haworthrdag.co.uk/ for more details.

Jackie Butterfield, yard manager and founder of Haworth RDA, said: “We’d welcome any age group to volunteer. It doesn’t have to be youngsters, it can be retired people as well.

“There are opportunities for young people to complete their Duke of Edinburgh awards here, and it’s a good way of making a lot of new friends.

“We would put new people in roles where they feel comfortable and let them develop at their own pace.

“We couldn’t operate without volunteers. They are such a vital cog in what we do here.”