Volunteers from Riding for the Disabled, Hanford Group and local supporters raised £1,000 in December from the sales of Christmas wreaths and decorations.


This year’s Christmas fair, normally run by volunteers from the Shroton-based group, had to be abandoned due to covid restrictions. Undeterred, chairman Stella Hayward set up a workshop in her carport to make Christmas wreaths and decorations.

Having collected foliage and berries from friends’ gardens, she spent a few hours every morning in November and created 36 wreaths. RDA volunteer Helen Coleman also joined Stella in her carport and made some lovely Christmas decorations as well as wreaths.

The challenge of selling the decorations was resolved when Sue Adam, another volunteer from RDA Hanford, offered her garage

in Shroton as an outdoor shop. Word spread around Shroton and on December 5 all the wreaths and decoration were sold in just two hours and £480 was raised. A further £120 was raised by supporter Crissie Jones in Fiddleford from her homemade Christmas decorations which she sold to friends locally, and Stella raised a further impressive £400 from selling wreaths to her neighbours in Fiddleford. All monies raised will go towards new tack for the RDA ponies kept at Hanford School and for ensuring their wellbeing during the course of the year. In normal times RDA Hanford welcome up to 10 children from Yewstock school once a week for a couple of hours providing therapy, lots of fun and a wonderful riding experience. Hopefully RDA Hanford will be able to resume normal practice and welcome the children back in the spring.

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