Help disadvantaged children during lockdown

Local children’s charity Ride High is asking for donations to help fund essential activity packs for its members during lockdown.

Recently named Charity of the Year at the MK Business Achievement Awards, Ride High supports the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the community by teaching them to ride and care for horses, and through associated clubroom projects. Due to the CV-19 crisis the charity has had to suspend all its normal activities and is concerned about the impact this will have on its members – many of whom find life very difficult under normal circumstances and rely heavily on their weekly visit to Ride High.

In response Ride High has revised its programme so it can maintain close contact with its long term members. The Ride High Programme is now being delivered online with additional support available over the phone, through email and text messages. ‘Ride High by post’ packs containing fun and educational activities are also being sent out to members every week. The programme is intended to provide the children with some consistency and positive activities to focus, on and to help them develop skills that they’d normally learn in their weekly clubroom sessions.

Ride High are asking for donations to help fund the activity packs they are creating and sending out each week to their 66 long term members. The charity estimates that they’ll need to send in the region of 720 packs in the coming weeks and months. Just £10 will fund 2 packs and donations can be made online: www.ridehigh.org/make-a-donation. The charity is also asking for donations of a range of craft materials for the packs such as coloured card. Please email info@ridehigh.org if you can help.

Olivia Sugdon, Ride High CEO said “Our main priority during this unprecedented situation is to continue to support the Ride High children. In lockdown our children are more isolated than ever. They’ve all been making good progress at Ride High and it’s important that we continue to support them and help to keep them on a positive path. Making our programme available from a distance isn’t easy – but we’re making as many of the activities horse-related as possible because that’s what really helps to engage the children”.