Bangor-on-Dee Charity Race Day – Clwyd Special Riding Centre

Clwyd Special Riding Centre (CSRC) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a day to remember at Bangor-on-Dee Races on 28th September, attended by HRH The Princess Royal.

Over 350 people, from local businesses and current supporters, came together in the CSRC hospitality marquee to support this special event. The aim of the event was not only to mark the charity’s 40th anniversary but also help raise funds for, and raise awareness of, this small charity that delivers so much. Funds raised have exceeded expectations and smashed the charity’s £20k target, raising over £44,000.

Clwyd Special Riding Centre is a registered charity located in Llanfynydd, near Wrexham. The Centre provides state of the art facilities that support Riding for the Disabled and equine based well-being activities, benefitting people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs.

The past two years have been an uncertain time for the charity. They have had many challenges to overcome as well as the pandemic, but they are bouncing back and finding their stride again. What better way to celebrate their ruby anniversary, than a day at the races and with HRH The Princess Royal in attendance.

Her Royal Highness met with CSRC trustees, staff and volunteers, and marked the occasion with the cutting of an anniversary cake before being presented with a posy from two of CSRC’s young participants, Isaac and Molly.

Victoria Everall, CSRC Trustee explains: “We were honoured that HRH The Princess Royal in her capacity as President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, accepted CSRC’s invitation to attend our special  fundraising event, which is part of our 40th anniversary celebrations.

“The Princess has visited our Centre on three occasions over the past 40 years to mark developments that have taken place. We are so very grateful for her continued support and interest in all the work that we do.

“We would like to extend our thanks to Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse for running the Charity Race Day in support of CSRC. Also, to the many businesses, sponsors and racegoers who supported us at this very special anniversary event. The donations we received from this event have been tremendous and we are delighted to share that we smashed our £20K target by raising a grand total of £44,700.

“This amazing total has given us a much-needed boost to our funds. As you can imagine, with many years’ worth of wear and tear, there are many fixtures and fittings in need of replacement – from windows, roofs, lighting and gates to software. The funds raised will help us to invest in the Centre’s infrastructure and team of horses which in turn will help us to deliver our strategy to grow the services we offer.”

The Centre has developed massively over the last 40 years, since Victoria’s mother, Anne Sopwith, bought the small run-down riding school on a hill farm in Llanfynydd in 1982. Looking ahead, the charity is focussing on building on its equine assisted offering and to offer more activities to support people’s well-being. But the Centre cannot offer the services it does on funds alone, volunteers are a vital part of the success of Clwyd Special Riding Centre.

Victoria continues, “All our sessions are run solely by volunteers. We are very reliant on having the correct number of volunteers in place to support each session, and we often require up to three volunteers per rider. The more volunteers we have, the more sessions and participants we can support, so we are keen to hear from anyone wishing to volunteer.”

On closing, Victoria said: “The Centre was my mother’s vision, her dream, her legacy. My hope is that our wonderful Centre will continue well beyond the next 40 years. I always say that ‘helping one person may not change the world, but it may change the world for that one person’.”

Visit www.clwydspecialridingcentre.co.uk to find out more about the charity and how to get involved.