Volunteers

Become an RDA Volunteer...

RDAWA has now 19 centres from Geraldton in the North to Albany in the South,offering opportunities to enjoy safe, stimulating, challenging and healthly therapeutic equestrian activities to over 800 participants achieved because of the support of over 450 dedicated volunteers and nationally accredited coaches.

Providing equestrian activities such as recreational horse riding, vaulting, hippotherapy, carriage driving and dressage each week, creates a need for volunteers who are dedicated to supporting these activities.  Without our volunteers enourmous effort and dedication RDAWA would not be able to continue to grow from strength to strength. 

Our volunteers are an essential part of each program and as such they share their time and enthusiasm with our riders.  Our volunteers not only provide support to each rider, each coach, but also walks, grooms and feeds our horses, run our centres, raise our funds, train to become coaches, bring awareness to our communities and take care of each other.

We rely on volunteers helping during RDA riding sessions and you can find out when each session takes place by contacting the nearest centre to you.  It costs nothing to volunteer, however your involvement in RDA makes a huge difference to the lives of people with disabilities and special needs in Western Australia.

For further information on how to become a volunteer, you can contact the state office 08 9296 4655 or email info@rdawa.org.au or go direct to the centre nearest to you.  Volunteers will be required to have a police check and depending on the centre you choose to join, will have a minimum age requirement (generally 12/14 years as a minimum) however this depends if the child is acompanied by a parent.

What's in it for you?

Have fun and make friends

Learn new skills, enjoy new challenges

Enjoy the fresh air and stay fit, keep active

Make a difference to someone's life

Be part of something special

How can you help?

Preparing riders for their riding sessions

Making sure hats and boots are on and horse and rider are ready to go 

Our horses are well looked after and you can help with grooming and tacking up

Assist with leading our horses to help our riders during each RDA session

Get involved with the running of a centre, assist with administration

Raise awareness and get involved in our fundraising activities

More ways to volunteer!

There are many ways you can help RDA in Western Australia. Below is a list of generic roles we have and a short description. This list is by no means exhaustive. Each of our centres may have other roles on offer.

The most vital role any volunteer can have within RDA is as a session helper.  All RDA Centres require volunteers on hand throughout sessions, without these volunteers RDA could not operate.

Session Volunteer - Providing support to riders through leading horses, side walking, aiding mounting, encouragement and enjoyment.  The time taken is variable from as little as 2 hrs per week, mostly during term time depending on the centre.

Volunteer Co-ordinator - Coordinating other volunteers within a centre.  The time taken is also variable from as little as 1 to 2 hrs per week depending on the centre.

Fundraiser (where available) - Help a centre to raise funds to aid the running of a centre 3 – 4 hrs per month.

Website Management and Maintenance of a centres websites - 1 – 2 hrs per month

Session Organiser Coordinator - Volunteers, horses, riders for session’s 1 – 2 hrs per week.

PR volunteer (where available) - Liaise with the local media to promote the Centre to increase funds and volunteers 1 -2 hrs per month.

Coach sessions Instructor - Ensure safe practice during sessions – volunteers doing this will need to achieve a qualification, for which we provide all the training 1 – 2 hrs per week

REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER
For more information about volunteering through your work, please contact the RDAWA State Office on (08) 9296 4655 or drop us an email eo@rdawa.org.com

RDAWA requires all volunteers to complete a 'volunteer application form' for submission directly to the centre you wish to volunteer at. It is advisable that you contact the centre directly before completion of this form in order to see if they operate on days when you are available.

Due to the recent implementation of the Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 all individuals working with children are now required to have a Working with Children Check. 

Application Forms

Application forms are available from Main Australia Post Offices, these forms need to be completed by yourself and signed by the President or Secretary of your RDA centre before being submitted at a Main Australia Post Office where you will have your photo taken for your WWC ID card.

When filling out the WWC application form, please remember the following;

1. Category: 12 (Association or club)

2. Organisation Name: Riding for the Disabled Association of Western Australia Inc (please do not put specific RDA centres i.e. Carine) 

3. Organisation Representative: Your Centre President or Secretary is authorised by the State to represent RDAWA in these applications.

For further information on completing the form you can look at the WWCC application notes below or visit .www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au