Getting Started

We don’t have a formal interview process, but the first thing is to complete our online volunteer contact form to arrange a convenient time to come down and have a good look around and a chat about what you would like to get involved in. It is important to us that all our volunteers feel comfortable in whatever role they choose and that we put in place all the relevant training.

Download and complete our Volunteer Application Form plus the two referees section.  You can either attach it to your contact form or bring it with you when you come down to see us.

Monday to Friday 08:30 – 15:00 

Saturday 09:30 – 14:30

Friday 08:30 – 15:30

Afterschool Club – Monday 16:00 – 17:45 Tuesday 16.00 – 17.45 Thursday  16.00 – 17.45 

Holiday Activity Club – we offer activity days during the school holidays. Upcoming activities are available on our calendar.

Tea with a Pony – We also run Tea with a Pony sessions.  At the moment we do not have any specific days or times, but we do need volunteers to greet our visitors and serve the tea and chat to the participants. The whole session lasts about 90 minutes for the volunteers, including washing up!

Could you start a little earlier or stay a little late?  If you are able to come in a little earlier or stay a little longer we always need volunteers who will collect the ponies from our fields from 08:00 and make sure they are groomed ready for the day ahead, and also to return them to the fields at the end of lessons.

Our after school activities mean the ponies need to go back to the fields later, particularly on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday when we finish later. We very much appreciate any of our volunteers arriving early or staying on to help us with this task.

Yes. Cotswold RDA use an online rota system called ‘Three Rings’ for our volunteers to keep us informed on when they can and can’t volunteer – the web address is www.3r.org.uk. Once you have had your induction we will get you set up on the Three Rings website and send you your username and password. As well as volunteering, you will also be able to sign up for training sessions, supporting holiday activities and Cotswold RDA special events. If you have any problems using the website, please contact the Administration Manager on 01242 584420.

The age range of our volunteer pool is amazing – from our youngest age 12 right up to our oldest at the age of 86 and every age in between. Everyone has a role to play and without them, we simply could not ride.

Cotswold RDA Minimum Age:

• Volunteers aged 12 or over.
• Our Young Volunteer Programme is open to boys and girls aged 14 years and over. There is a wide selection of duties including grooming, poo picking, tack cleaning as well as side walking and leading our ponies on a lead rein with our riders. Health & Safety is paramount so, as with all our volunteers, they will need to take part in our induction training programme with one of our equestrian team.

Maximum Age:

• There is no upper age limit applicable to volunteers.
• All volunteers are covered by public liability insurance.
• Volunteers over 80 are covered by Personal Accident Insurance, but the cover excludes Benefit 4 (Permanent Total Disablement) and Benefit 5 (Temporary Total Disablement/Out of pocket expenses)
• Personal Accident Insurance does not cover volunteers over 90 years of age.
• Volunteers over the age of 80 will be informed so that they understand their insurance cover and will be given the opportunity to modify their volunteering activities if they so wish.

No we do not require you take a medical.  However, we have a duty of care for the safety of our volunteers and therefore you do need to be fit to carry out the role being asked of you. This is a shared responsibility and you, or us, have the right to raise this issue where appropriate.

No. Many of our volunteers have come to us without any previous knowledge of horses, and have learned new skills along the way. We provide ongoing training for all our volunteers.  

No. Cotswold RDA has many different types of roles, most of which don’t require any experience. Of course, if you do have skills you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you! 

Depending on your chosen role there will be different tasks to take part in. Many of our volunteers take on a variety of roles and enjoy the flexibility of types of role available.

If you are taking part in our riding lessons you will be trained as a leader and a side walker.  The leader is responsible for the pony and up to 1 -2 sidewalkers, depending on the ability of the rider, will walk alongside the rider.  Lessons commence at 10.00am, so if you arrive early there is always grooming, tack to be cleaned and of course tacking up the ponies. If you are not familiar with grooming or tacking up, our Yard team will provide training.

If you are volunteering for any of our other roles one of our team will have a chat with you before you start to let you know what needs to be done for the day.

No matter what role you are undertaking for us, we always recommend comfortable clothing and sturdy boots. Layers are particularly important in the winter as the school can become very cold. Cotswold RDA have a range of branded tops such as Polo Shirts, Fleeces, and Sweatshirts which can be ordered in a range of colours at competitive prices. Please do not wear perfume, dangly jewellery or scarves/ties.

If you would like to volunteer at Cotswold RDA we appreciate as much or as little time as you can give. We rely entirely on volunteer help. Even a couple of hours a week are greatly appreciated, however, we understand that other commitments cannot always make it possible, so all we ask is that you let us know if you cannot attend or that you can no longer volunteer with us.

Yes, all RDA Groups have Employee Liability, Public Liability and Personal Accident insurance.

There are a wide range of policies and procedures we are required to comply with, but Health and Safety is paramount. Everyone’s safety is always at the forefront so check our Health & Safety board – it’s important. You will have been asked to read the notices as part of your induction training, but please make sure you keep checking so you are aware of any updates.

At Cotswold RDA we have a culture built around our core values of:- Trust; Respect; Encouragement; Enjoyment; Openness; Responsibility. If you should experience any dissatisfaction you should immediately raise your concerns with the Head of Day. Alternatively you can speak to the General Manager or the Operations Manager so that we are able to deal with any complaint in an open and positive manner. A copy of our complaint policy is available from the office.

Volunteers will have access to their records and all data will be kept in line with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and our own Data Protection Policy. Riding for the Disabled requires that all volunteers respect and treat in confidence, the information that they may be party to within their role. This includes written, oral or electronic information.  

Communication is an important part of our culture at Cotswold RDA, so we put a lot of effort into keeping you up to date and letting you know not only what’s going on but also other important information you may need to keep everyone safe.

When you volunteer at Cotswold RDA you will automatically be added to our TEXT ALERT system, which we will only use to notify you of any changes e.g. cancellations, volunteer shortages.  We do not use our text system for any marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive text alerts then please let one of the team know. 

We also issue a quarterly newsletter and other informative emails which is distributed by email. You can sign up to our Newsletter through our website, but you will not be automatically added when you join as a volunteer.

We will never use any of our communication channels to market our services to you. From time to time we may also send operational emails e.g. volunteer training days, and of course we are very active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Yes. All RDA volunteers over the age of 16 are required to undergo a disclosure check as they work with vulnerable adults and children. You can apply for a DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service) through our online system. There is a charge of £10.00. The DBS lasts for 3 years after which time a new application will need to be submitted.

Here at Cotswold RDA training is one of the most important goals, which is why as a new volunteer you will be involved in our training programme as part of your induction and ongoing development. Whether you come from a horsey background or have never worked with horses before, our aim is not only to ensure that our riders can achieve their full potential, but we also want our volunteers to aspire to develop and achieve new skills.

We also regularly have speakers come to the school so that we can learn not only equestrian skills but also learn more about how to work and interact with children and adults with disabilities.