Dunedin Riding for Disabled Association (RDA) treasurer Tina Marshall said a market day at the weekend was as much about raising the group’s public profile and hopefully attracting more volunteers, as it was about fundraising.
"We want everyone to know what we’re referring to when we talk about the RDA — it's only by becoming more known that we get more support."
The RDA run therapeutic riding sessions for children and young people who have a range of disabilities — physical and non-physical.
Each rider needed at least one volunteer to work with them and some children required up to four, depending on their needs, Ms Marshall said.
Activities included developing mobility and accuracy, vision or communication skills.
"One child that started here, she barely spoke — by the end of a term she was an absolute chatter box.
"In that case, we achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve."
The sessions gave the children "a sense of achievement they often don't get out in the real world".
"Horses don’t judge."
The market was held on Saturday at the association’s Fairfield premises.
The Dunedin RDA did not receive government funding and relied on grants, corporate sponsorship and donations from the community to keep operating.
RDA also needed volunteers to care for the horses year-round and to keep their premises maintained.
They had about 50 volunteers, but only about 20 of those were active, Ms Marshall said.
"The community that knows about us tends to be really good and supportive ... but generally the people that know about us are the ones that have been involved in some way, such as by having had kids involved, or friends of kids that have been involved.
"A lot of the community don’t know we’re down here."
The RDA was "always desperately looking for volunteers", she said.
