15/06/2026
Hello folks, I just thought I would put some feelers out and see what other RDA centres do regarding mobiles. Headlines on the news today is about the banning of social media such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, I could go on. I actually banned the use of mobile phones on our yard nearly a year ago. Prior to this I can actually remember seeing a young volunteer grooming one of the ponies while texting at the same time! From that moment on I thought no, enough is enough. The young volunteers are allowed to have their mobiles on them, but they’re not allowed to use them on the yard. I can honestly say I have had no ill feelings as a result. When a new volunteer comes to CRT and of course I do the green card, I always include the Mobile expectations.
However, I have now gone one step further, when I used to walk into the centre at lunchtime it would be like walking into the doctors waiting room. Nobody was talking, they were all texting or scrolling on their phones. So I suggested why don’t we try talking and Interacting with each other and put the phones away. I did have some funny looks at first but I can honestly say they gave it a go and again I have had no repercussions. This was such a good move as I feel it’s a little bit like the old days when people actually communicated. It’s so lovely to hear them talking, laughing and basically having a good time.
Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA)
RDA large centres
