CALA Strengthens Ties with Neigh-bours with £20,000 Charity Donation

Cala Homes Press releases

Developer urges other businesses to follow and “do the right thing”

Ravelrig RDA grant by CALA Homes, communicated by PR agency Edinburgh

A HOUSEBUILDER has made a bumper donation to a local horse-riding charity looking to reach a funding target to provide a vital indoor riding arena – and is calling on other businesses to follow suit.

The volunteer-run Ravelrig Riding for The Disabled Association (Ravelrig RDA) exists to provide life-improving experiences to its riders and now requires close to £200,000 to reach its targets to build an indoor arena in order to provide a safe and covered environment for riding all year round.

To help it achieve its goal, CALA Homes (East) is making a sizeable £20,000 donation – and is strongly urging other local businesses and organisations to make a final push and help meet the shortfall.

Derek Lawson, Land Director at CALA Homes (East), said:  “We fully understand that we are a very visible presence in the area with our Kinleith Mill development in Currie and two sites set to launch in coming weeks in Balerno. It is important to us that we are able to support the communities in the areas we build our new homes.

“In making this donation, we feel we are supporting an important local charity and we’d actively encourage other firms working across Edinburgh and the Lothians to contact Ravelrig RDA and see how they might be able to help the team here deliver its dream.

“We have had a close relationship with the charity for a long time and have witnessed first-hand the positive impact on the lives of those who come to use it.  The team are so incredibly hard-working and to be able to support them in this way is a real privilege.”

Ravelrig RDA grant by CALA Homes, communicated by PR agency EdinburghCALA’s historical association with Ravelrig RDA goes back as far as 1998 when it assisted the group to move to its present site at Ravelrig Gait and helped to build custom-made stables. In 2012, CALA gifted the land to the charity and obtained planning consent for the indoor arena.

Earlier this year, the charity received £1,700 donation from CALA construction staff and contractors following a local golf event.

Barbara Johnstone MBE, one of the founding volunteers at Ravelrig RDA, said: “We are really grateful to CALA for this incredibly generous donation. The charity is run solely by volunteers so it’s donations like this that ensure we can continue to provide an enjoyable and reliable experience for our riders.

“Being able to build our purpose-built indoor arena will allow us to develop the charity further and enhance the ways we are able to support our riders.

“For many, the prospect of a last minute cancellation due to bad weather is very distressing, so to be able to remove that worry will make a huge difference to their experience throughout the year.”

Ravelrig RDA is run solely by volunteers and is dependent upon its own fundraising efforts and donations from riders, parents and from within the local community.   The annual running costs now amount to over £90,000 – around £900 per rider per year. It would not be possible to provide riding therapy at Ravelrig without continued help and support from fundraising activities throughout the year.

Individuals looking to donate to the centre should visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/ravelrigrda

For businesses looking to donate, assist or simply to learn more about Ravelrig RDA, contact:

0131 449 7994
organiser@ravelrig-rda.org.uk

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