The Diamond Centre For Disabled Riders

General information

The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders was one of the founder members of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). The Centre was formally opened in 1974 by HRH The Princess Royal, who has maintained her interest in Diamond and has visited us several times – most recently to help us celebrate our 30th birthday in May 2004.

The Diamond Centre was the first purpose built centre for disabled riders in the UK and is still one of the largest in the world, offering riding, vaulting and carriage driving to over 360 disabled people every week. Around 300 volunteers are needed to instruct, lead the horses, work in the stables, run the shop, serve on committees and carry out day to day maintenance. A paid staff of 15 is required to manage the stables, the office and grounds.

Since 1974 The Diamond Centre has expanded steadily, evolving from the original purpose-built arena with stable block and offices, into a well-equipped centre with many additional facilities. We now have stabling for 30 horses and ponies and land that we own for grazing. A full size outdoor arena has been added to the two original indoor arenas. A lecture room and accommodation for students have been built to further improve our facilities and increase training opportunities.

Over the years, the Trustees of The Diamond Centre have ensured that all necessary maintenance, refurbishment and upgrading have been carried out to ensure all facilities are safe and sound. This is a considerable and costly exercise.

WHO WE ARE - AND WHAT WE DO
As a member of the RDA, The Diamond Centre exists to provide disabled people with the opportunity of riding, carriage driving or vaulting at the level of their ability to benefit their health and well being.

Our wide range of activities offers excellent opportunities to riders of all abilities and all ages. All riding (including hippotherapy), vaulting and carriage driving takes place under expert instruction. Riding is an expensive activity but riders at The Diamond Centre only pay a small fee as our rides are heavily subsidised.

Most riders start in a beginners class suited to their age and ability and can progress to a more advanced ride. Riders come to Diamond in school groups, from adult day centres and specialist hospital groups or as individuals.

Our riders have a range of disabilities including; spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, epilepsy, Down’s syndrome, autism and learning disabilities. It is widely recognised that riding benefits disabled children and adults both physically and mentally. We also help victims of brain trauma injury and road traffic accidents who show remarkable improvements through riding.

For many of our riders it is the only activity they can participate in and experience some form of independence and sense of achievement. Riding provides them with the opportunity to overcome their disability and gain skills they never thought possible.

Riders, parents and carers regularly express their gratitude for the results we achieve – often when other forms of therapy have failed to produce any noticeable change to mobility or attitude.

The structure of the lessons is geared to the needs and abilities of the riders. All lessons are taken by trained instructors who are assisted by a deputy and where necessary, a group of helpers to lead the horses. Most of our instructors are volunteers.

Therapeutic riding and hippotherapy
Therapeutic riding and hippotherapy are available to those who will benefit from specialist physiotherapy programmes. The unique benefits which can be achieved from hippotherapy are widely recognised.

Hippotherapy is provided at The Diamond Centre on a one to one basis by specially trained physiotherapists for riders with significant postural problems. These riders would not be able to be supported appropriately within a normal group ride and require the specialised support and supervision of a physiotherapist who is fully qualified in the use of the horse for rehabilitation.

Hippotherapy uses the movement of the horse as a therapeutic tool to develop the rider’s ability to achieve a symmetrical posture and to normalise muscle tone, develop trunk and head control and maintain an upright posture. The horse’s movement also provides opportunities for the rider to develop balance reactions.

Dressage
The Diamond Centre has an excellent record of training riders in dressage and many riders have achieved successes in National and, in a few cases, International competitions. We have qualified at the RDA Regional Dressage Championships every year since 1980 to take riders forward to the National Championships. In recent years we have regularly taken 7-14 riders to the RDA National Championships. Most RDA Groups would feel proud to have 1 or 2 riders through to the finals. Several of our riders have in the past been selected to ride in International Competitions.

In the 2008 Beijing Paralympics Laurentia Tan, who has ridden at The Diamond Centre since she was six years old, represented her native country Singapore and won two bronze medals in the Dressage events. A fantastic achievement for Laurentia and for Diamond. Laurentia was also successful in the London 2012 Paralympics, competing at Greenwich in September 2012 and improved her performance, attaining a silver and bronze medal.

Vaulting
This is a specialised “gymnastic” activity provided by Diamond where the horse is lunged in a circle with riders vaulting on and off the horse whilst performing a range of exercises.

Carriage Driving
For those who are unable to sit on a horse, Diamond provides carriage driving as an alternative sporting activity involving contact with horses.

Our Volunteers
The Diamond Centre’s success hinges on its excellent team of volunteer instructors and helpers. Without our volunteers Diamond would be unable to operate. Many start with no previous experience of horses or the disabled. In 2000 we won the Sport England Volunteer Investment Programme Award - an award for excellence in training, organising, retaining and rewarding volunteers.

In June 2009 we were very proud to be awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which is equivalent to the MBE, in recognition of “outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.”

In 2010 Diamond was a runner up in the annual Sports Club of the Year Awards, presented in association with The Foundation for Sport and the Arts, CCPR. Winners were chosen from over 150,000 qualifying clubs in the UK. To be nominated is an honour but to be one of the winners is absolutely fantastic.

Voluntary instructors and staff
All of our instructors are fully trained and qualified to RDA standard and several hold British Horse Society qualifications. All the Driving Group Instructors hold British Driving Society qualifications. Our physiotherapist has gained Level 3 in the Horse in Rehabilitation exams.

Riding for the Disabled Association
The Diamond Centre works very closely with its governing body the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) which organises training courses for volunteers, conferences for Regional and County Officials, Regional and National Dressage and Handy Pony Competitions, Riders’ Grade Tests and Instructors Exams.

The Diamond Centre participates in all RDA sporting and training activities from grass roots level up to international competition standard.

We are very proud that in 2011 one of our volunteers was awarded the RDA President’s Award. It is awarded by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal to a limited number of people each year who have made an outstanding contribution to the work of RDA.

Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Therapeutic Riding
We have a close link with the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Therapeutic Riding (ACPTR) and host some of their training days and assist students working towards their qualifications. Our own physiotherapist holds the ACPTR Horse in Rehabilitation exam Level 3, the highest level obtainable.

British and foreign students
The expertise of The Diamond Centre has become renowned in Great Britain and abroad. Our working student programme enables students to aim towards their BHS Stage qualifications. They also come to train and learn about RDA and prepare to take the RDA Group Instructors Exam or the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) qualifications. From time to time veterinary students spend time with us to gain experience. All enjoy their stay with us and leave to spread their knowledge of riding as a sport for the disabled.

Fundraising
The Trustees of The Diamond Centre are constantly seeking ways to ensure its secure financial future and would like to expand and improve Diamond’s facilities to a high standard in order to offer the best riding opportunities to as many disabled people as possible.

Over the years more stabling has been added, arenas upgraded, an outdoor school provided and a lecture room and accommodation built. However, over time more and more improvements become necessary.

All of this, together with the upkeep of 30 horses and the maintenance of a large riding centre, obviously requires a substantial income and is only made possible by a continuous programme of fundraising activities, which supplement our income from riding fees and hiring out the Centre.

Riding is an expensive activity, however we keep our fees as low as possible. Riders attending The Diamond Centre represent a broad social and ethnic spectrum of the community and many of our riders from special schools and day centres come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some of our riders live in council run homes and have little or no family, financial or moral support.

The Diamond Centre will continue to ensure that riding is made available to anyone who is disabled, regardless of their financial situation.
CONCLUSION
The Diamond Centre is a unique establishment for riding for the disabled and is known and respected world-wide.

Since we first opened our doors in 1974, more than 6,400 disabled riders have benefited from attending The Diamond Centre.

There is a great demand for the special facilities that we offer and we currently have a waiting list of up to two years for individual riders, depending on which ride is the most suitable for them. We are the only RDA Centre in the Greater London Region offering specialist training in all fields of riding including; hippotherapy, dressage, carriage driving and vaulting.

The Diamond Centre has a very promising future in producing top class disabled riders - as well as catering for those at grass roots level who benefit from the enjoyment and special relationships formed with our horses, other riders, volunteers and staff.

Without the money we receive from donations, legacies and fundraising, The Diamond Centre would not be able to operate – and so we are appealing to you for help.

By helping us now you will ensure that we can continue to provide our unique service for the benefit of disabled children and adults for many years to come.