Margaret was awarded the Tall Timbers Volunteer of the Year Award for 2019 for volunteer service above and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations Margaret.
Margaret Wilson is a dedicated, enthusiastic and reliable volunteer that contributes in many ways to the smooth running and promotion of Tall Timbers Centre.
She attends twice each week to assist coaches, fellow volunteers and riders in classes which involves co-ordinating with the coach for overseeing lesson equipment set up ready for the riders. She is an observer of the class as a whole to help with the smooth running of the activities and assists with the activities planned. She gives personal encouragement to riders to complete the tasks given by the coach. She also helps many new volunteers by being their “buddy” and passing on her experience and knowledge to make them feel welcome and valued.
Margaret is one of the behind the scenes, quiet achievers and is proof that you do not have to be “horse mad” to become fully involved with RDA. She has been a volunteer since 2011 and soon became an active Committee member in 2015 where she has input and provided initiatives towards the smooth running of the Centre and promoting RDA for the benefit of our clients.
Margaret has co-ordinated and assisted at many of our major fundraisers including Model Railways Canteen, Plant Fair catering, Riverstone Parade, Bingo, Horses Birthday Lunch fundraiser, on-site canteens for competition dressage and mounted games days, also catering for working bees lunches and our end of year Thank You luncheon for our volunteers. All this as well as being a committed Committee member involved with the decision making and forward planning of our busy Centre. She has gone outside of her comfort zone to using any opportunity to tell people what we do at RDA(NSW) Tall Timbers Centre and about the benefits of the programs the Centre provides to people with disabilities. The programs enable people with disabilities and volunteers to experience enjoyment, challenge and a sense of achievement though participation in horse riding and associated activities resulting in the development of life skills; improving quality of life and the attainment of personal goals.
Margaret also encourages other organisations to support us by assisting the Centre financially or by donating prizes towards our fundraisers. She has also spent time assisting our office staff and cleaning our building when we needed that extra “sparkle” before functions.
Margaret has shown outstanding commitment, initiative, given valued support and provided benefits towards all that is involved for the successful running of the Riding for the Disabled (NSW) Tall Timbers Centre.
Margaret said … It is nearly ten years since I retired and at the time I joined RDA (NSW) Tall Timbers Centre in order to have something to do in my spare time. Little did I know how much I would grow to love being part of it!
I get so much joy from seeing the children’s progress. Some of it may seem like small steps to us but you know it is a huge step for them.
There are also our beautiful horses who do such a wonderful job and who are so well cared for by Chanida and Sophie.
There is also the camaraderie of all the volunteers and we share many fun times round the lunch table.
In time I joined the Committee and that gave me a greater insight into the running of Tall Timbers which enabled me to have a better understanding of its overall organisation. I was talking about Tall Timbers to a neighbour recently and she said she could see how “passionate” I was about RDA and that is definitely how I feel.
