5 steps to baking a difference – for RDA horses and riders

Porirua--The Wellington Group of New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association, located on the grounds of the Kenepuru hospital in Porirua, hopes that the Wellington and greater Wellington community will help to ‘bake a difference’ by becoming Gingerbread Horse Bakers in this year’s NZRDA Gingerbread Horse Awareness Campaign.

The NZRDA Gingerbread Horse Awareness Campaign asks individuals, schools, businesses and community groups throughout the country to register as Gingerbread Horse Bakers. The 1st step is to register – while Steps 2 to 5 are to bake, decorate, sell and donate, using the items provided in the free Baker’s Pack.

Starting from Monday the 1st of August (International Horses’ Birthday), registered bakers will sell their tasty gingerbread biscuits to friends, family, schoolmates, workmates and the general public before banking the proceeds with NZRDA.

All funds raised from the campaign enable local RDA Groups throughout New Zealand to continue making a positive difference to the lives of disabled children and adults (and to their families and friends). This includes Wellington RDA, which together with other RDA Groups around the country, provides over 90,000 riding sessions each year to over 3,000 children and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and social challenges.

Donna Kennedy, WRDA president, says “It’s the 4th year of the Gingerbread Horse Awareness Campaign and we’re really hoping that the Wellington community really gets in behind our local RDA Group by signing up as Gingerbread Horse Bakers. We’re looking forward to seeing the amazing (and some maybe not so amazing) decorations that people can come up with. The campaign is a fun way for our supporters, of all ages and stages, to provide much needed funds to enable us to provide our valuable service to as many people in our community as we can.”

Kennedy says that anyone can become a Gingerbread Horse Baker and, when they register, they can choose to support the Wellington group of RDA.

“All you need are the basic skills and creativity to bake and decorate the biscuits, and the motivation to sell them in the community and to donate the proceeds to help support a really great – and life-changing – local charitable cause.”

People can sign up as Individual, Business, Community or School Bakers via the website www.gingerbreadhorse.co.nz – with prizes and rewards for taking part. Each baker is sent a free Baker’s Pack that contains everything they need to start making and selling Gingerbread Horse Biscuits, including a recipe card, horse-shaped cookie cutter and biscuit packaging.

NZRDA Chief Executive Chris Hooper says the Campaign is NZRDA’s ‘flagship’ event. “We’re focused on further growing the Campaign each year. It’s really important for us and for our riders, volunteers and, of course, for our horses. All the proceeds from the Campaign go to supporting RDA Groups and growing their ability to deliver safe and effective therapeutic horse-riding and horse-related activities in more local communities to benefit more riders. “

Hooper says “Last year, across the country, the Campaign saw over 500 individuals, schools, businesses and community groups baking, decorating and selling gingerbread biscuits. This year, we would really like to double that number. That means encouraging over 1,000 registered bakers to take part in the 2016 Gingerbread Horse Awareness Campaign, with the goal of making and selling over 80,000 Gingerbread Horse Biscuits and raising over $150,000 for Riding for the Disabled in New Zealand.”

New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association (NZRDA) is an association of member groups. It is a charitable organisation which provides opportunities for anyone with a disability to enjoy safe, healthy, stimulating, therapeutic horse riding and horse-related activities in New Zealand.

Its core purpose is to provide interaction with horses to develop increased ability, independence and self-esteem for children and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and social challenges. Its vision is to deliver safe and effective programmes in more local communities to benefit more riders.

There are currently 56 RDA Groups operating throughout New Zealand--providing3,000 children and adults each year with recreational riding, therapeutic riding, 'equine-assisted' or 'equine-facilitated' psychotherapy and hippotherapy. NZRDA relies heavily on community support.

Its 1,600 volunteers are an integral part of the work it does.

• For more information about Riding for the Disabled in New Zealand go to www.rda.org.nzFor more information on the Wellington Group of RDA visit wellingtonrda.org.nz or phone 237-5550.

For questions or more information regarding NZRDA Gingerbread Horse, please email info@gingerbreadhorse.co.nz

ENDS

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