Community Benefit Fund supports the Riding for the Disabled Association Published on 16^th November 2018

Caithness Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Trudy Morris recently attended the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) official ceremony at the indoor riding school in Halkirk to welcome their new hydraulic lifting platform. The project was supported by the Baillie Wind Farm Community Fund.

The new platform lift enables the riding association to mount disabled riders onto their horses safely, quickly and in a dignified manner. The riding club has grown in popularity over the years with participants joining in form all over Caithness and Sutherland and additional sessions now take place once a week to keep up with the demand of the 40 keen riders. 

The Hydraulic Mounting Platform was designed and manufactured by local firms Envision Engineering and Calder Engineering Ltd. This was the first time Envision Engineering had been involved in designing a hydraulic mounting platform of this nature and worked closely with Colin Calder, Managing Director of Calder Engineering who would manufacture the design. The end product is believed to be one of just three being used in Britain at the moment. A true testament to Caithness Engineering at its best.

The platform cost £25,000 and was supported by the Halkirk District Benefit Fund, the Dale Rosie Memorial Fund and Baillie Windfarm Community Benefit Fund.