This afternoon I had the absolute pleasure of visiting The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders on Woodmansterne Lane in Carshalton.
Diamond provides therapeutic riding and carriage driving for children and adults with disabilities and has helped over 700,000 disabled people to ride since it opened in 1974. With over 300 volunteers on their books, we are so lucky to have such a special organisation on our doorstep.
I was delighted to meet with Centre Manager Maz and Trustee Claire to learn more about the various services on offer at Diamond and have a tour of their site. This included the specially created mounting block to make it easier for disabled riders of all ages to mount the horses, the tack room with specialist equipment to suit every riders' need, and their indoor and outdoor arenas.
My favourite part of the tour, however, was meeting all the beautiful horses and ponies who are the pride and joy of Diamond! I was really impressed with all of the horses' calm temperament which makes them perfect Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) horses. I particularly liked meeting Boris (pictured) and even snapped a photo of us together for the Prime Minister!
I then had an opportunity to watch one of the lessons they provide for children with additional needs and it was lovely to see the impact the horses had on the children; building confidence, teaching responsibility, calming anxiety, and much more.
One visit to Diamond was simply not enough and I was thrilled to be back on Sunday for their Annual Autumn Fair. After a difficult 18 months due to Coronavirus, the fair was an opportunity to raise some vital funds for the Centre and raise awareness of the opportunities for members of the public to get involved. There was a fantastic selection of stalls, entertainment, and food at the Fair, along with a horse show to showcase the Centre's talent.
I really look forward to working with Diamond in the future and a huge well done to all the staff and volunteers for a successful Autumn Fair.
If you would like to find out more about The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders, how you can get involved, or how to sponsor a horse, please visit their website here.