Long Sutton Freemasons of the Alexandra Lodge support The Fenland Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association

A volunteer group which gives disabled children the opportunity to share in the joy of horse riding has been given a £500 boost.

The generous donation was presented to The Fenland Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) by the Long Sutton Freemasons of the Alexandra Lodge, on behalf of the Lincolnshire Masonic Benevolent Fund, and will help support weekly riding lessons.

The Fenland Group of the RDA was founded back in 1981 by Elizabeth Dixon-Spain and Jane Carter and gives children from The Tulip Academy, in Spalding, free riding lessons during the spring, summer and autumn terms.

The group is a registered charity and relies solely on its volunteers and local donations to keep running.

Group chairman, Paul Brett, said there are currently around 30 volunteers who regularly give up their Wednesday mornings to help, with some of them also bringing their ponies for the children to ride.

He added: “The group is not a riding school; we do not own our own ponies or facilities and everything we do is enabled by the generosity of our volunteers and supporters.

“Over the past 40 years the group has taught well in excess of 1,000 children to ride and this donation will help the group to continue to provide the children with their riding sessions.

“We are extremely grateful to member of the Alexandra Lodge for their generosity.”