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KIND-HEARTED PIPPA TO WALK AND RIDE THE EXTRA MILE FOR THE UNICORN CENTRE
When 9-year-old Pippa Fryett heard about the Riding for the Disabled Association’s Unicorn Centre’s fundraising campaign to secure its future, she decided she had to help. She regularly competes her ponies Tippy and Star at the Centre’s fundraising shows.
The Unicorn Centre has provided horse riding and therapy for hundreds of adults and young people from throughout the Tees Valley for 26 years. It has become the latest in a long line of charities to fall victim to the devasting effects of the Covid lockdowns and now the cost-of-living crisis. It has launched an ambitious £100,000 fundraising campaign to boost its coffers.
When Pippa heard about the Centre’s campaign, she emailed the Unicorn Centre saying,
“Hello my name is Pippa Lilly-Ann Fryett, I am 9 years old from Middlesbrough. I have been following the appeal from the Unicorn Centre, I just knew I had to do something to help raise some money. I have 2 ponies of my own and know how therapeutic and joyful being around them is. I know a lot of people will be really upset including children, adults and elderly people that won’t have the opportunities there is at the Unicorn Centre anymore. It would be a real shame for it to have to close. There is people out there who need the Centre and I love their fun days and their shows too. It’s a great centre that offer amazing opportunities for a range of people with different disabilities and everyone needs something to enjoy!
She went on,
“I am going to do my best to help raise money so I have decided that my fundraising will be in two phases.
Phase 1: on day one, I will be walking on foot accompanied by my mum as i need an adult with me: approximately 7.7miles. The route will be starting at Majuba Car park in Redcar and walking to my home address. This will take place the second week of July. Phase 2: On day two, I will be accompanied by my friend Pearl also aged 9 who also has a love for horses and is currently having riding lessons. Together we will walk an additional 2 miles followed by a 2-3-mile hack out. These routes will also be tracked via an app as proof/evidence.
The sponsorship is for both phases of the fundraising for this amazing centre. LET’S SAVE THE RDA UNICORN CENTRE!”
Chair of Trustees Jackie Rubin said, “We are all blown away by the kindness of Pippa and her friend Pearl. There have been so many offers of help since our campaign started at the beginning of May, and we’re hoping that we will be able to reach our target of £100,000 within 12 months. The Unicorn Centre has offered unique health, social and employment opportunities in our region for over quarter of a century. We have to save the Centre from closure, but it’s going to be a massive challenge. If we can raise £100,000 it would give us the time to increase our activities, find more horses, carry out maintenance projects, apply for more grants and arrange fundraising events to get the Centre back on a more stable footing.”
Anyone who would like to sponsor Pippa’s Walk can do so via the Centre’s Just Giving Page Unicorn Friends is fundraising for RDA Unicorn Centre (justgiving.com) leaving “Pippa’s Sponsor” in the comments so she knows how much she’s raised.