29/11/2025
🌟 A Heartfelt Goodbye to ADRA 🌟
After many happy and memorable years, ADRA will sadly be closing its doors.
This has not been an easy decision, and it comes with a very heavy heart. As many of you know, I have chosen to step down as Chair, as ongoing personal circumstances mean I can no longer give the club the time, energy, and dedication it truly deserves. With no one wanting to step into the role, and with our membership numbers continuing to drop — only around 20 members and just 6 attending all events this year — running the club has become increasingly difficult. We also need a Secretary a Treasurer, a Safeguarding Officer and First Aider, as well as someone to run risk assessment reports before each event. BRC are also increasing their fees again this year, and our hands are tied and we would have to increase our fees also.
We also looked into every possible option to continue, including leaving BRC, but the insurance alone would have cost thousands and we would have had to find a new venue as the current insurance holders insurance would not cover events without us being a BRC club. With the club bringing in only around £300 this year, it simply wasn’t sustainable. As always, we wanted to be transparent, so this was put to a vote at the AGM — and it was a unanimous, though very sad, decision to close the club on 31 December 2025 before any more fees and subs are due to BRC and we are truly sorry to those who supported the club so loyally this year to help keep it going.
We do have funds in the club, which are going to be donated to charities, a local one Woodchurch RDA, Air Ambulance and Brooke.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to the incredible people who have supported ADRA over the years.
💛 Brenda and Clare, our amazing Secretary and Treasurer — thank you for your dedication and hard work. A special thank you to Brenda, who has been at the heart of the club for an incredible 37 years when it was formed by people who just wanted to get together and have low level fun. She has truly earned a well-deserved rest!
💛 Thank you to Paula, Cam, and Vikki on the committee for your continued support, as well as all past committee members who helped shape the club.
💛 And of course, thank you to every single member, past and present, who has been part of ADRA’s story and especially the founders all those years ago. You are all the reason this club existed, thrived, and created so many wonderful memories, we are very lucky to have had members that were so supportive and wanted to have fun.
Though ADRA is closing, the friendships, the laughter, the lessons learned, and the shared love of horses will always remain. This isn’t just an ending — it’s a celebration of everything we built together.
Clare will be calling BRC on Monday to let them know so no ongoing subs are taken, but please feel free to log into sport80 and cancel any subs due.
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for the many years of support, joy, and community.
Here’s to the next chapter for every one of us and I'm going to leave it there as I'm welling up as ADRA has been in my life since i was 14 years old. Sue x. 🐴💫
PS The images are a few of my favs but not limited as so many, please do look through the albums and posts, there are 1000's, we have done many wonderful things and the smiling faces make it all worth it, i have enjoyed taking photos of all of you. Will leave the fb page open so you can post any memories you wish xx
