Volunteering at Stepney

Most of the people you see at Stepney are volunteers who give their time for free.

Volunteers are fundamental to the ability of the Stables to deliver its service. The majority of our volunteers are; young people, parents or adults with learning difficulties.

Horses are labour intensive with a great deal of appeal. The rides provide a formal structure for our volunteers in a real life work environment, where people skills are paramount.

Volunteers undertake a variety of tasks from mucking out to management and receive training on the key aspects of their work.

Our volunteers give us access to a wide range of skills and abilities with some capable of acting as staff cover when necessary.

It is only through the commitment of our volunteers that Stepney has been able to achieve so much.

VOLUNTEER NEWS!!

We have steadily increased our new volunteers. People are coming to the stables from a wide range of places. Some are people who have had horses in the past and are keen to continue working with them & riding, others have no experience but a looking to learn new skills. Other people are supported by organisations such as CSV, Millennium Volunteers or are students at both of Newcastle’s Universities.

2005 is the “Year of The Volunteer” - which is an initiative to encourage people to get involved with volunteering. There are many events during the year which we will be involved in – particularly in December when the theme is working with animals. There is also a national awards ceremony to celebrate & honour the amazing work carried out by volunteers across Britain – watch this space for news of Stepney Bank Stables nomination!

Our volunteers here have been busy as usual, as well as their day to day work around the yard volunteers have supported 2 very special days; the first was a day visit by Young People with disabilities from Sir Charles Parsons School and Secondly when 30 young people from Byker Primary School attended a Racism Awareness day . Thank you to all involved for your hard work and support in making both these days a great success & memorable experience for the young people involved.
What’s been happening?
As you may know, many people of all ages support the work of the stables by volunteering.

VOLUNTEER PROFILE:

Name: Michael Haley
Age: - 43
How long have you been
a Volunteer for? - 13 years

What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer at the stables?   - I love helping people & I love being with the horses.
Favourite Job? - I like helping groups, mucking out, leading, everything really
Least favourite Job? - I haven’t got any really
Favourite Horse? - Rotary Lad (Jasper) first, the Maggie
Favourite Colour? - Red
Last film you saw at the Cinema? - Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom (I don’t go very often !!)
Favourite Sport?   - I like watching Newcastle Utd.
Ambition? - Would like to come back to life as a Horse (or a dog!)
Hobbies & Interests when away from the stables?   - Horses & Dogs