For the 12 participants of Daylesford’s Riding for the Disabled program, even the smallest amount of funding can mean a great deal.
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(Without funding) the volunteers as well as working here have to fund raise.
- Lesley Hewitt - volunteer coach
The program, which is run by eight volunteers at Daylesford’s Boomerang Holiday Ranch, caters for participants ranging in age from three to 50 and provides them with the opportunity to learn to ride and compete.
The organisation will now be able to buy new uniforms for its riders after it received a $915 grant from the state government as part of an initiative to purchase clothing and equipment for small sporting organisations.
Riding for the Disabled volunteer coach Lesley Hewitt said procuring small grants was essential to the survival of the organisation.
“All the riders in this session are new so they don't have shirts, and you need a uniform in order to compete,” Ms Hewitt said. “(The funding is) fabulous, because otherwise the volunteers as well as working here have to fund raise, so it’s a real help.”
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the funding focused on smaller sports which were often overlooked.
“What I love about this grants program is that programs like Riding for the Disabled and table tennis clubs, croquet clubs and other smaller sports can get funding.”
