A world of great possabilities

The Sanders Watney Trust is the charitable arm of the British Driving Society. The main objective of the trust is to help disabled persons follow their goal of carriage driving. Financial assistance may be given to RDA affiliated Carriage Driving Groups for the Disabled in the form of gifts or interest free loans to help towards the purchase of carriages, harness, driving holidays or training seminars.

Carriage Driving Groups

Disabled driving groups are available all round the United Kingdom that provide a fulfilling and exhilarating experience for carriage drivers with disabilities with the opportunity to learn new skills for people of all ages and abilities of a restrictive nature. These include physical handicaps, visual impairment, hearing impairment and learning difficulties. The Groups are run by an army of volunteers to facilitate everything necessary for a disabled carriage driver. Purpose made carriages to accommodate wheelchairs for specially trained RDA approved horses and ponies are some of the equipment adapted for disabled drivers that the Sanders Watney Trust supports with it's financial assistance.

Driving has been an important part of RDA since 1975 and there are now almost 70 Groups involved.  By taking up driving in RDA you will be joining in with over 1000 other drivers! Carriage Driving is where a horse or pony is hitched to a wheeled carriage and driven around a course and you are the driver! Driving is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, be out in the open air and have great fun at the same time.


RDA Carriage Driving is particularly useful if you can no longer ride due to disability or if you prefer a different kind of challenge to riding. Carriage Driving can range from a relaxing drive through the rolling countryside to exciting competitions where your ability to make quick decisions and having the confidence to control a fast moving carriage are put to the test.


If you are a confident driver and would like to compete there is opportunity for competition in RDA as well as British Carriagedriving (BC) and British Driving Society (BDS) shows.  Some drivers progress outside of RDA and attend training days and compete internationally. As well as the fun of driving you can also benefit from fantastic therapy benefits of improved coordination, improved muscle power and improved balance, many of which are the same benefits as you would get from riding.


Scholarships

The Sanders Watney Trust runs two scholarships annually to fund training and tests for one disabled driver and one RDA carriage driving coach. They are open to any member of an RDA affiliated disabled carriage driving group who is also a member of the British Driving Society. Further details on all the above are available from the Sanders Watney Trust.


Financial Assistance

Since the The Sanders Watney Trust was established in 1986, the charity has made grants totalling over £160,000 for the benefit of the RDA carriage driving community.


Training Grants

The Sanders Watney Trust provides training grants to support workshops for improving the skills of disabled carriage drivers. The Trust also gives training grants to RDA carriage driving coaches whose presence in the carriage is vital to ensure the safety of the disabled drivers.


Carriage Driving Holidays

The Sanders Watney Trust often makes contributions to the cost of driving holidays for disabled carriage drivers organised by disabled driving groups. For some, these holidays are the only opportunity they have to experience carriage driving in different areas. The holidays enhance their driving skills, allow them to make new friends and have lots of fun in the process.

REGIONAL RDA DRIVING GROUPS

     RDA South West Region

     Covering Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset


          RDA Mid West Region

     Covering Gloucestershire, North Somerset & Bristol, Wiltshire


RDA South Region

     Covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire


     RDA South East Region

     Covering Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex


     RDA Greater London Region

     Covering North, Central, South East & South West London


     RDA West Mercia Region

     Covering Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire


     RDA North Midlands Region

     Covering Derbyshire, Leicesteshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire


     RDA East Region

     Covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk


     RDA North West Region

     Covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside


     RDA North East & South Yorkshire Region

     Covering East Yorkshire & Ryedale, South Yorkshire


     RDA Yorkshire & Cleveland Region

     Covering Cleveland, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire


     RDA North Region

     Covering Cumbria, Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland


     RDA Edinburgh & Borders Region

     Covering Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh & Lothian, Fife


     RDA West & Central Scotland Region

     Covering Argyll, Ayr, Central Scotland, Perth, West Central Scotland


     RDA Grampian & Highland Region

     Covering Grampian, Highlands & Tayside


     RDA South Wales Region

     Covering Dyfed, Glamorgan, Gwent


     RDA North Wales Region

     Covering North Eastern & North Western Counties


     RDA Northern Ireland Region

     Covering Belfast & Co Down and North & West Northern Ireland