Pony Express - December 2025
- emmam345
- Dec 31, 2025
- 5 min read
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2025 - A Year to Remember!What a truly memorable year of celebrations it has been here at Broadlands! We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of our 70th Anniversary Year. Broadlands wouldn’t be what it is without our incredible volunteers, who turn up rain or shine. Whether it’s caring for our ponies, supporting participants, or keeping the stables and grounds in tip-top condition, we are truly grateful. We are also extremely grateful to our staff, who consistently go above and beyond to ensure Broadlands runs smoothly. Your hard work never goes unnoticed - Thank You. From all of us, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year! The Trustees | |
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A Huge Thank YouIn 2025, we raised nearly £31,500, on top of the £120,000 we must secure each year to keep Broadlands running. This is a truly wonderful achievement. It has also been a joy to welcome Mia and Rocky, two of the three ponies we had hoped to add to our herd—we’re still on the lookout for the third. To make all of this possible, we formed an Events Team who planned, organised and delivered the many events we’ve enjoyed throughout the year. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to this fantastic group, who dedicated countless hours to brainstorming sessions, reaching out to local and national companies for support and sponsorship, preparing for each event, and working tirelessly throughout. They have been a pleasure to work with and have accomplished an extraordinary amount. A huge thank you to: Paige Parsons, Tony Williams, Ray Daniel, Emma Mallory, Emma Trotter, Susie Greenwood and Jayne Farrar. …And Now On to 2026 Plans for our 2026 events are already taking shape. Our annual quiz night, wine-tasting evening, talks at Wivelrod Barn, and even next year’s wreath-making afternoon are all beginning to find their place in the diary. We would also love to hear from you if you have any contacts who might make engaging speakers for our Wivelrod talks, or if you have any fresh fundraising ideas to share. Please contact Kim at kim@broadlandsgrouprda.org.uk. |
Ponies’ Personal Care Day
What a crazy busy day! The whole yard had their routine dental checks from Matt at Equine Dental Clinic Ltd. He was followed by our superb farrier, Martin from Tailor-Made Farriery, who carried out his usual fantastic hoof care and shoeing. Both gents patiently answered every question we threw their way.
After a very stormy bring-in from the fields, we were treated to a very heavy snow shower. Happily, we were finally all tucked up by the fire, thawing out and reflecting on a productive - if chaotic! - day.
Hayley’s Here to Help
You may have seen or bumped into our new Education & Employment Mentor, Hayley, at Broadlands. Her role is all about supporting young people who may not be attending school, who find the traditional classroom tricky, or who are simply having a tough time… because let’s be honest, life can be challenging, and everyone deserves a safe space to grow.
Hayley offers a range of fun, flexible, and completely non-judgemental courses, each one tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person in front of her. Her goal is always the same: to help them feel confident, capable, and proud of what they can achieve.
We'd Love to Hear From You!
Have you or someone you know benefited from our RDA sessions or volunteering?
We're collecting testimonies to share on our website — to help others understand the incredible impact horses can have on wellbeing, confidence, and connection.
Your story could inspire someone to take that first step. You can share your experience anonymously or with your name, whichever you prefer.
Please message us directly or email us at office@broadlandsgrouprda.org.uk to contribute.
Thank you for being part of our community and helping us spread the word about the healing power of horses
Come Carolling!
As our wonderful 70th Anniversary Year comes to a close, we can’t help but reflect on what an amazing journey it’s been! We introduced exciting new fundraising events that were a great success, hosted a fantastic celebration party, and made major strides in enhancing the facilities at Broadlands—keeping all our ponies and visitors safe and comfortable.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our friends, staff, volunteers, local businesses and trustees. We are truly grateful.
To wrap up this memorable year, we invite you to join us for our annual Christmas Carol Evening at Broadlands on Friday, 19th December at 6:30 pm.
We’re thrilled to welcome Joya and Peter of Celestia Music, who will be leading the carols, as well as the talented children from Four Marks Primary School, who will be performing for us. As always, you can look forward to warming mulled wine, festive mince pies, and delicious hot dogs.
Join us to celebrate the joyful finale of our 70th Anniversary Year!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The amazing Kinnears are at it again this year with their fabulous musical Christmas light show, which raises money for charities close to their hearts.
We are delighted to say Broadlands is one of those lucky charities this year.
You can watch the display every night from 4:00pm - 8:00pm from 18th - 31st December at Goldcrest Way, Four Marks, GU34 5FE.
Please walk if you can, or park at the rec and walk through so not to disturb the neighbours. Every penny raised go to charity.
RDA South Region Conference21st April 2026 Warbrook House Heritage Hotel, The Street, Eversley, Hampshire, RG27 0PL The South Region RDA Conference is a dedicated event aimed at bringing together RDA volunteers, coaches, employees, participants, parents and carers across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. This was last done in 2017 to great success. The conference will serve as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, learning and strategic discussions. It will:
To find out more and to book tickets, click here. |
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Decking the Halls…What a wonderful festive afternoon at the Broadlands Christmas Wreath-making Workshop! The nylon Christmas jumpers were on, cheesy Christmas music was playing, the table groaned with mulled wine, Kim’s homemade cakes and warm sausage rolls, and everyone’s creative sides emerged. It turns out we have some budding florists among us, as the wreaths were absolutely amazing. It’s incredible how different each of the wreaths looked, when we all used the same huge pile of foraged Hampshire hedge greenery. Thank you to everyone who came along, supported the cause, and contributed to such a brilliant festive spirit. Huge thanks again to Susie and Mark Greenwood for hosting us. We are so very grateful. |
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All’s Well That Ends Well… Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart. The Polar Express
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