Press Release: Daimler Foundation
/MP Visit to Daimler Foundation
Last week (Thursday 19th August), Alan Brown MP visited the Daimler Foundation at Morris Equestrian in his constituency.
The representative for Kilmarnock and Loudoun was given a tour of the premises and met with members of the Foundation, as well as the riding school, in Fenwick.
Although Morris Equestrian plays host to regional and national competitions, through the Daimler Foundation, horse riding is used as a form of therapy to assist people from all walks of life.
A series of initiatives are there to back this up. For example, children with disabilities, as well as some from care homes, come and learn the basics of horse riding through the Daimler Club – which also includes grooming the horses and mucking out stables.
In the coming weeks, the Foundation look forward to welcoming Iraqi and Syrian children who will take part in a six-week programme at Morris.
In addition to this, they also offer employment opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds to come and work at Morris Equestrian Centre – both in the stables as well as the events and hospitality wing of the registered charity.
Commenting on his visit to the centre, the MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun said:
“I was honoured to be invited along and meet with representatives from Daimler Foundation at Morris Equestrian.
“I was blown away with the work they carry out and hearing some of the success stories was fantastic. Horse riding can often be viewed as an elitist pastime but the initiatives the Daimler Foundation run make it accessible to everyone across the constituency and ensures no child misses out as a result of affordability.
“In addition to this, the employment opportunities they offer to young people, as well as those needing a second chance, is just brilliant. Like everywhere, Covid had a drastic effect on the centre but being there and hearing the enthusiasm from the team, it looks to be recovering well and exciting times are ahead.
“I even got on a horse myself! It was a nervous experience but I’m really glad I just went for it. It wasn’t a bad attempt considering it’s the first time I’ve really been on one. However, I won’t be entering any show jumping competitions just yet!
“I look forward to supporting the Daimler Foundation in the future and seeing some of the exciting plans they have to fruition.”
Also commenting, Operations Manager and Senior Instructor, Alison Dorby said:
“It was great to have the local MP come and see first-hand the work we are doing here. We have loads of exciting initiatives coming up and it is important for us to have the support of Alan when it comes to this.
“We have been working hard to create an environment where equestrianism is an inclusive sport and nothing should hold anyone back from being involved in their passion.
“We want people to come here, learn and go home with a smile on their faces. Although it is an extremely competitive environment, we want people to enjoy what they get from us and be eager to come back.
“You see people coming in, suffering from all different kinds of stresses but the half an hour or hour they get with the horses allows them to put their anxieties to the back of their mind and forget about it for that short time. The difference it makes is truly remarkable and it is certainly the most rewarding aspect of my job.”.
