Being a Volunteer is Easy!
At RDA Singapore, we welcome volunteers both as groups and individuals, and we are always looking for new volunteers to help with our horse-riding therapy sessions for those with disabilities. No horse experience is needed for sidewalkers as training will be provided. We offer on the job training throughout the year as well as regular training programmes every quarter.
We are always looking for hard-working, passionate, and energetic people to volunteer at the therapy sessions, barn work, and fundraising to keep our free therapeutic horse riding program serving our beneficiaries each day.
Click Here for our Volunteer Form, complete it and send it to our volunteer coordinator, Ms Siti Haslina at volunteers@rdasingapore.org.sg who will get back to you regarding volunteering.
Volunteers need to be the minimum age of consent of 16 years old. Interested applicants below 21 years old will require parental consent.
All volunteers for our therapeutic sessions start off as a side-walker. As a side-walker, you will be an integral part of the weekly progress of the riders, providing physical assistance and emotional encouragement. During the sessions, you will walk beside the horse while supporting (both physically and mentally!) and interacting with the rider and facilitate the activities. As such, you need to be comfortable working with a person with disabilities and being around horses.
Preference will be given to volunteers who are able to commit at least 1 riding therapy term (once a week on the same day/session for 10 consecutive weeks. This ensures that the same volunteers will follow through the therapeutic progress with the same child who rides with us for a 10-week term.
Helping out in fundraising is important too, in order to keep our free therapeutic horse riding program serving our beneficiaries each day free. Events include Race Day, Charity Carnival, Road shows and more!
Volunteer roles include but are not limited to:
- Assisting in the sessions as a side walker, horse leader or coordinator
- Helping out with barn work like stable maintenance which include; clearing & muck up a stable for our therapy horses, scrubbing out horse resting mats & corridor, grounds keeping and so on (Typically for one-time group volunteering)
- Fundraising, marketing, events, photography, administrative work, videography, and the list really goes on!
Group Volunteering
All available group volunteering slots for 2024 are fully assigned.
RDA welcomes volunteer groups of (Up to 20 pax) to come in and work on not just fundraising and awareness projects but also facility improvement projects and clean up tasks which range from helping around the horse stable to clearing up our pasture, painting our fences, or even equipment building for games in the sessions!
Please reach out to us to find out which opportunities are currently available. Volunteering your time at RDA Singapore not only allows us to maintain and improve our facilities, but also serves as a great opportunity for your group to bond through the experience of teamwork, problem solving, and, of course, working on a fun project for a great cause!
At present, group volunteering opportunities are available monthly on a weekday afternoon (3 - 5 pm) for a group sizes up to 20 pax.
All volunteers are required to complete this FORM.
If you would like to find out more about how your group/association can get involved or if you would like to begin planning a work day at RDA Singapore, please contact our office by calling 6250 0176 or sending us an email at mail@rdasingapore.org.sg
Wondering what to wear when volunteering?
For our therapeutic sessions, the scene is: weather is generally warm in this tropical island, and you would be walking on a sandy surface with 400-600kg horses around. Ideally, wear long pants and boots - this also helps reduce the amount of arena sand stuck on you and your shoes, boots are the best protection if you get accidentally stepped on, and do support us by wearing an RDA shirt ($18 each) which you can purchase at the RDA office. Realistically, because of Singapore's weather, you could also wear short pants, but we would advise using sturdy shoes. Please avoid wearing tops that flap or dangling earrings.
If you are helping us with work around the stable yard, do not wear slippers into the stable area. For safety and comfort please wear boots or sturdy shoes. See you around the RDA Centre soon!