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The following awards were presented at RT&LH Centre's Volunteer Luncheon and awards Presentation on Tuesday 27 SEptember 2011:
Volunteer of the Year - Penny Abbott
Volunteer Encouragement Award - Richard Nicholls
Young Volunteer of the Year - Nikitta Woolfe
Rider of the Year - Marlee Clement
Life Membership - Malcolm Storey
Excellence in Volunteering - Arnold Kafer
Penny Abbott - Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award is open to volunteers with more than 5 years service to RT&LH Centre.
Penny Abbott has been volunteering at RDA since 1999. She started as a Tuesday program coordinator and was devoted to making sure her riders had fun. She was an important team member who encouraged others to develop their skills and improve their knowledge of how they could assist people with a disability to be everything they can be.
Due to health problems, Penny now volunteers her time in the office, providing the essential background support needed to ensure that all of Riding for the Disabled’s riding and driving programs are a success.
Penny is a valuable asset to the Centre and is an amazing help to Vicki in the office, whom she has assisted for the last six years.
Penny’s experience and enthusiasm for assisting people with a disability to improve their quality of life epitomises the volunteering spirit at RDA. Penny enjoys the friendly atmosphere at RDA and will continue to volunteer for many years to come.
Richard Nicholls - Volunteer Encouragement Award
The Volunteer Encouragement Award is open to volunteers with less than 5 years service to RT&LH Centre.
Richard has been volunteering at RDA since July 2009, after leaving BHP after 36 years.
Richard is a man of many talents who has used his skills to our advantage. His knowledge of all things moving has lead to much needed repairs and the recycling of bits and bobs to make the things our Centre needs, as well as saving us a great deal of money by being able to make/repair them himself.
Richard is a leader in the maintenance team and has held the position of Health and Safety Officer and improved volunteer, rider and visitor safety by overhauling our safety manual and improving our incident prevention, reporting and evaluative procedures. Until recently, Richard was a member of the Management Committee.
Richard is instrumental to the development of our sensory garden trail ride, where he has devoted a great deal of time in 2011.
The most important part about Richard's volunteering experience is that the riders at Monday Dressage had him hooked from the beginning. It is such an uplifting thing to see and enjoy, and he continues to feel honoured to be a part of it.
Nikitta Woolfe - Young Volunteer of the Year
The Young Volunteer of the Year Award is open to volunteers 18 years of age and under.
Nikitta is 13 years of age and has been volunteering for five months. Nikitta is a very eager volunteer, who helps as part of the Friday ASH and Saturday programs. She has also helped at all three Port Stephens Bunnings barbeques this year.
During Nikitta’s time at RDA, she has gone from strength to strength in her ability to work with the horses and riders. When given the chance and opportunity, she is always willing and excited to build and extend both her knowledge and skills
Nikitta is a great asset to our volunteer team. As she increases her horsemanship knowledge, she gets more confident and is performing task more quickly and easily. It is wonderful to watch her learn, as every time she does something new, or by herself for the first time, her joy is amazing.
With encouragement and support from other RDA volunteers and members, Nikitta will be a confident, capable and sought after volunteer who will be part of our family for many years to come.
Marlee Clement - Rider of the Year
Marlee started riding at the tender age of 5½ in 2006. S he has an enchanting smile and just loves riding.
When Marlee first came to RDA she could not stay on her horse long, as she would tire very quickly, even when being held. She worked really hard each week and little by little, her time on the horse increased. Five minutes became 10, and so on; till now she can sit up (with a little re-adjustment every now and again), on her own, for a full 45-50mins. Last year for the very first time, Marlee progressed to a special saddle which allows Velcro pads to be positioned to aid her stability, and she is having the time of her life.
With no verbal communication and limited muscle tone, Marlee has so much fun riding her horse Buddy, who has adapted to her unique needs.
When Marlee came to RDA she had very limited interaction with people, being in her own little world. She now interacts with the helpers, and “High Fives” and “Flags” are precious moments when she just has fun.
Zane leads the carriage driving program at RDA. He is the kind of horse who respects the driver’s abilities, and serves them with affection and obedience to their needs. He seems to completely recognise the individual's needs and abilities, and just fits in. You only have to ask him once to do something, and that's OK by him.
When he started with us, he was puzzled by reins being attached to the halter, but, after a few weeks, he cottoned onto the idea and has been happy about it ever since. He is loved by our drivers, helpers and biased Whips. He loves a hose down after a hard day and takes the hose in his mouth, like a straw, to take a well earned drink.
He's pretty greedy, though, when it comes to apples, bananas and mandarins - when he can certainly go into a feeding frenzy - and is very clever at licking and nibbling your hand if you invite him.
Itemising his great qualities is easy - loyalty, patience, understanding, kind and gentle nature, physical strength and ability to share with those who need it, and really good looks! What more could you ask?!
Malcolm Storey - Life Membership
Malcolm commenced volunteering at RT&LH in 1996, one year after his daughter, Jessica, started riding with us. He has been awarded Life Membership of the Centre due to his committed service over many years.
Malcolm came to RDA with a managerial background and it was somehow inevitable that he would be absorbed into the Centre Administration.
Malcolm has held a number of positions at the Centre, as well as helping in the Wednesday Dressage program when his time allowed. He was the President/Treasurer in 2004, the President from 2005-2010, the RDANSW Regional Representative from 2005-8 and is currently an ex-officio member of the Management Committee.
Malcolm has travelled extensively in recent years, but has still found time to fit in a number of speaking engagements to interested community groups and is active in assisting to organise this year’s Bushies Ball
Arnold Kafer - Excellence in Volunteering
Arnold Kafer commenced with the Centre in 1994, at the age of 62. His 17 years of volunteering service has included Thursday, Saturday 2, and for the last couple of years, Monday Carriage Driving programs.
Arnold is a very quiet achiever, and always just got on and did what needed doing. He was a typical “grandfather” figure to the riders and he delighted them when he rode his motor bike to RDA.
Arnold was loved by the riders and drivers who knew him, and they looked forward to seeing his bright, enthusiastic and smiling face every week. He always attended the Mounted Games, and helped out wherever he was needed during fundraising events.
Arnold is retiring from RDA, due to a deterioration in his eye sight, which means he can no longer drive the long distance from his home.
Service Badges are awarded to our volunteers to recognise ongoing service to people with a disability at RDA.
Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients:
3 years - Jodie Breedon, Judy Brown, Daniel Burns, Dian Gillespie, Peter Laing, Jerry Mudryk, John Nicholson
5 years - John Donaldson, Vicki Gaunt-Burns, Rebecca Gordon 10 years - Daryl Boyce, Trevor Bullen, Gordon Hyde, Claire Robinson
15 years - Malcolm Storey 20 years - Doreen Sinclair, George Sinclair
Revised: 17 October, 2011.