Taylor Wimpey East Scotland adopts the RDA Drum ponies
As part of its ongoing commitment to working in partnership with local communities, Taylor Wimpey East Scotland has recently adopted each of the 11 ponies who are the backbone of the Riding for the Disabled Association at The Drum in Gilmerton, Edinburgh.
The adoption donation provided by Taylor Wimpey will go towards supporting some of the day-to-day running costs of this incredible local charity, which is temporarily closed until the COVID-19 situation improves.
Situated next door to Taylor Wimpey’s Kinloch Green development in Gilmerton, normally Drum RDA provides the opportunity for over 200 regular riders to ride its ponies with the aim of improving their confidence and social skills, as well as developing their balance and coordination. Their Turnaround programme also works to combine the educational and therapeutic benefits of interaction with horses to nurture critical life-skills such as confidence, trust and respect.
Commenting on the support it has received from Taylor Wimpey, Ena Gaffney from Drum RDA said: “We are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from Taylor Wimpey and we can’t thank them enough for their donation. It’s an expensive business caring for our ponies, and due to the COVID-19 situation it has been essential for us to suspend the lessons for all disabled children, young people and adults who normally use our services. This has seen a huge impact on our income and this donation will help us to sustain our day-to-day provisions for the horses, so I would like to say a huge thank you to the team at Taylor Wimpey.
“Each of our ponies are available for people to adopt and we have also recently launched the RDA Covid-19 Emergency Fund Appeal. So we would encourage anyone who is able to make a donation to visit our website www.drumrda.org.uk to find out more.”
Kirsty McGill, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey East Scotland said: “Drum RDA is one of our neighbours next to our Kinloch Green development in Gilmerton, and we hope that our neighbourly donation to support their adoption programme goes some way to helping with their immediate short-term costs.
“Being able to work with local businesses and organisations that surround our developments is important to us and it’s great to know that we are helping to make a difference in our local communities.”
We give lesson in safety to local school children in Gilmerton, Edinburgh
The construction of new homes at our development of new homes at Kinloch Green, off Candlemaker’s Park is now underway, and we were keen to promote the dangers associated with playing near any construction site. The visit gave us an opportunity to raise awareness of the children’s need to be extra vigilant as the building of our new homes progresses, and the summer holidays approach.
Being proactive with local schools has proven an effective deterrent in the past as Martyn Campbell, Production Director explains: “Health and safety in and around our construction areas is of vital importance to Taylor Wimpey. Taking this type of proactive approach with local schools allows us to reinforce just how important it is for children to stay away from building sites, and it gives us the chance to remind the children that building sites are not playgrounds!”
Alet Bouwer, Acting Head Teacher, at Gilmerton Primary School adds: “I was delighted to welcome the team from Taylor Wimpey into our school to highlight the dangers associated with children playing near any construction site.
“It’s great that Taylor Wimpey understands the importance of our children’s safety, and created such an interactive and proactive approach to appeal to our pupils.”
Drum Riding for the Disabled receives £1,000 boost from us!
As part of our ongoing commitment to working in partnership with local communities, we have recently donated £1,000 to the Riding for the Disabled Association at The Drum in Gilmerton, Edinburgh. Our donation will go towards replacing some of the paddock fencing to keep the ponies safe.
Drum RDA provides the opportunity for over 200 regular riders to ride each year with the aim of improving their confidence and social skills, as well as developing their balance and coordination. Their Turnaround programme also works to combine the educational and therapeutic benefits of interaction with horses to nurture critical life-skills such as confidence, trust and respect.
Commenting on the support it has received from Taylor Wimpey, Ena Gaffney from Drum RDA said: “We are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from Taylor Wimpey and we can’t thank them enough for their generous donation. It’s an expensive business caring for our ponies to be able to offer the life-affirming experiences that we offer each of our riders, and I would like to say a huge thank you to the team at Taylor Wimpey.”
Karen Armstrong, Sales and Marketing Director said: “We are delighted to be able to support Drum RDA with funding towards new paddock fencing for their ponies. The work we do is a lot more than just building high-quality homes. Being able to work with local businesses and organisations that surround our developments means a great deal to us and it’s great to know that we are helping to make a difference to the lives of people in local communities.”