Abi Garner, Publican of the Dusty Miller pub on Gilead Road, Huddersfield, has helped to raise over £2,500 for the town’s local RDA charity (Riding for the Disabled Association), which supports disabled children and adults across the UK.
On the 1st of June a group of 10 volunteers and pub regulars joined Abi to embark on the mammoth challenge of walking a total of 25 miles up Yorkshire’s Three Peaks.
Their mission, to raise essential funds for Huddersfield’s local RDA charity enabling extra support and access for people across the community.
Abi said: “We do a lot of fundraising in the pub and we’re always helping out with community events where possible. As an active walker myself, every month we host a walking club and can gather anywhere between 15 and 40 participants.
“This time around, we decided to go even bigger and push ourselves out of our comfort zone by taking on a tougher walking challenge. We chose to fundraise for the RDA as many people within our community use their services, and one of our customers is also a volunteer there.
“We have been blown away by the community’s generosity and support, and we are delighted to have raised £2,710. We know how much the charity relies on donations like this, and we are thrilled to be able to provide riders with new helmets, harnesses, and extra support.”
The money raised will be donated to Huddersfield’s local RDA Group, Emley Moor. This small charity is run by volunteers and relies entirely on donations, sponsorship, and fundraising events. It has three ponies and horses that provide riding sessions to children and adults with various disabilities.
While Abi and the group of volunteers are waiting for their funds to be released, they visited Emley Moor to see first-hand how the charity works and to meet parents and riders who rely on its services.
Abi continued, “It was eye-opening to witness the impact that raising a significant amount of money will make. Whenever it comes to community events like this, you can guarantee that our locals will always join forces and help in any way we can.
“It is an honour to be able to give back to the community we serve, and I’m looking forward to taking on more challenges and fundraising attempts in the future.”
Each year, Abi and the team at the Dusty Miller choose a different hospice or palliative care unit to fundraise for. Now in their seventh year, they are hoping to raise further funds for a former team member and semi-pro golfer who sadly passed away due to breast cancer.
The team are currently preparing for their annual golf day, where all participants will return to the pub post-game for refreshments and a charity raffle.