Village Matters

Riding for Disabled to lose Home. Please Help

Park Lane Stables RDA (Riding for the Disabled) is a charity and a key part of the Teddington community, providing much-needed therapy and happiness to hundreds of local children and adults every year. However, the landlord is now selling the property and Park Lane Stables is at risk of losing their home. They are urgently fundraising £1 Million to buy the stables and to keep serving the community they love and call their home. The fundraising deadline is February 24th 2021. You may have heard about them when they went worldwide with their initiative #tinyponyatyourwindow when stable volunteers spread cheer by visiting that self-isolating, with their pony, Annie’s Whizz, during the first London lockdown in 2020. Overall they visited over 300 people in their homes, schools, hospitals and care homes. Being able to buy the stables would secure Park Lane Stables’ future in the community, enabling them to continue providing their therapy and riding school. Who are Park Lane Stables? Park Lane Stables RDA (Riding for the Disa-bled) are a key part of the Teddington community, providing much-needed therapy and happiness to hundreds of local children and adults with (and without) disabilities every year. They are a family-run riding school based in Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Just 35 minutes from London Waterloo they welcome horse lovers from all over London and the Home Counties. Park Lane Stables are really unique – our main yard is located on a residential street just a few minutes’ walk from Royal Bushy Park and close to Hampton Court Palace. One of the only truly urban riding schools in London! The riding school in Teddington has a great history, dating back to 1830 when it was the home of Teddington Fire Station and was surrounded by grazing and farmland. Teddington has changed quite a bit since those days, but the stables are very proud to be carrying on the tradition of the community; which this building has been at the heart of for two centuries. You will often see the horses and ponies at school fêtes, village fairs and parades in the local area, or raising funds for local charities and good causes. Today Park Lane Stables is run by Natalie O’Rourke and a dedicated team of coaches, stable hands and horse-mad volunteers. They offer traditional hacks and horse riding lessons, as well as being a fantastic venue for children’s birthday parties. They also run a busy Pony Club, with lots of activities for kids running throughout the year. Park Lane Stables is also renowned for its ever-growing RDA (Riding for the Disabled) provision for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. Twitter: @parklanestables 

Instagram: @park_lane_stables 

FB: ParkLaneStables 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-stables

Charity No: 1161306