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| About Us |
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The Hollesley Group was founded in 1985, originally based at Poplar Park Equestrian Centre near Woodbridge. We are a member of the International Riding for the Disabled Association and our president is HRH The Princess Royal. In the early days at Poplar, we organised riding and carriage driving sessions on Mondays and Fridays for adults with physical and/or learning disabilities and an informal hour for three children on Sunday mornings. The rapidly increasing number of requests received from adults and children to participate in our activities led to the neccessity to set up our own dedicated centre. As a result, in 1993 we leased some fields and redundant agricultural buildings at our current location: Pettistree Hall Farm in Sutton, Woodbridge. |
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Valued volunteering assistance from the Group, local individuals and companies, inmates from Hollesley Bay (HMP and YOI) and people on community service schemes meant that extensive renovation work at the Sutton site was possible. This involved cleaning, plumbing, drain clearing, fencing, painting, stable building and re-roofing. During this work period, our horses and ponies were accomodated by friends in Boyton and we were delighted when we were able to move them to their new home. Thanks to grants from the National Lottery and other charities and trusts, as well our own major fundraising programme, we were eventually able to construct our own indoor riding school. This is an essential asset - we're able to continure to run sessions, regardless of the weather. |
| Since that time, our activities have greatly expanded. We now run multiple riding and carriage driving lessons for adults during the week and children attend regularly for our Saturday morning riding sessions. The result of waiting lists has led to new sessions during the week for pre-school children. Adults come to us from resource units in Ipswich, Woodbridge, Felixstowe and Saxmundham and the children are directly referred to us from a wide area in Suffolk by their doctors or physiotherapists. Riding and equestrian activity is widely recognised in the medical profession as providing valuable theraputic excercise for people with disabilities, as well as giving them the opportunity to develop their social skills. We now have numerous children and adults who use the Hollesley Group for riding and driving sessions and waiting lists for more! |
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