Beyond commercial success, companies play an important role in the community, particularly when it comes to driving positive social change and creating a culture of shared responsibility. One way in which businesses can promote change is through donations to local charities. Ride High is a charity that provides an essential service of support to the most vulnerable children. As the charity receives no government funding, support from local businesses is essential in enabling it to support young people in the community.
Ride High recently received a donation from GXO (Milton Keynes) and that generosity enabled the charity to host its first-ever taster day for children in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. The event was designed to give those who had not been previously referred to the charity a glimpse into the unique support that Ride High has to offer. With over 40 agencies regularly referring young people to the programme, Ride High is continually striving to expand its outreach and is committed to ensuring its service is offered to communities of all sizes and backgrounds. Social inclusion is crucial in ensuring that Ride High is offering a service that is serving the community and meeting the needs of those most vulnerable.
Several organisations nominated more than 30 children to attend the taster day. Many of those nominated were unfamiliar with the charity or otherwise would not have considered Ride High as a potential support service that would interest them. Young people from local children and family centres, the Resettlement Team at Milton Keynes Council, and Faith Dimensions (Wolverton) were nominated to attend. Over the years Faith Dimensions have supported Ride High through generous donations of food items and the taster day provided the opportunity to further the relationship by welcoming many of the organisation’s children to enjoy time with the horses.
The children experienced a variety of equine- based activities that make up an integral part of the charity’s programme, including grooming, feeding and riding the horses. Ride High is unique in using horses as a vehicle to connect with the children, improving their engagement with the activities while also encouraging communication skills and building self-confidence. For many, the day marked their first interaction with horses and seeing smiles as they immersed themselves in the activities highlighted the impact just one session at Ride High can have on the children.
Reaching out and building relationships with a range of local groups is fundamental in breaking down barriers within the community, especially when many communities face challenges such as limited access to support services. There is hope that the taster day will encourage referrals from organisations that have not previously worked with Ride High and will mark the beginning of many more collaborations across Milton Keynes.
As corporate social responsibility is now more commonly expected from companies, the importance of donations to local charities cannot be overstated. Corporate donations, like that from GXO, are more than acts of good will, they are essential investments that allow growth and development in the community.
