Organiser’s plea for help to stop events being lost
A Pony Club volunteer co-ordinator said she is finding it increasingly hard to get enough people to run competitions
A PONY CLUB mother and organiser has put out a desperate plea for volunteers, warning that events will not be able to continue running without them.
Kiki Grigson, who has two children in the Eridge branch of the Pony Club, said she is finding it increasingly difficult to find enough people to volunteer. The branch usually runs five events needing volunteers each year.
“We know it can be very difficult for people to help,” she told H&H. “There is so much going on at weekends, parents may work away; it really can be hard and we understand that.”
Ms Grigson said she has tried to accommodate busy schedules.
“We’ve tried changing days we need volunteers, like arena set-up on Fridays,” she added. “But we often have to rely on our families.
“Last year we said if events are oversubscribed it’s our discretion who gets in based on who has volunteered. We’d hate to say events can’t run.”
A Pony Club spokesman said the “traditional” volunteer who gives up “years” is hard to find.
“Not because people are any less enthusiastic or generous but they’re working longer and travelling and cannot commit the
same amount of time,” she added.
Pony Club volunteering can count for Duke of Edinburgh and the Pony Club Young Equestrian Leaders awards.
“We’re trying to formalise volunteer training so people are given new skills, useful in their careers or that they can make careers from,” the spokesman said.
British Riding Clubs runs incentives, including a prize draw where volunteers can win tickets to Badminton and Burghley, for volunteers at its championships.
A BRC spokesman said: “We are always trying to come up with ways to reward people. We reiterate at every opportunity the fact you wouldn’t be able to compete without volunteers.”
British Eventing (BE) offers comprehensive volunteer training and runs awards and prize draws.
A spokesman said BE is reviewing a strategy to develop training and rewards.
“We did a lot of research with volunteers,” she added. “We hope they will see we are trying to do more for them.”