Press Releases

Galloping into the 21st century - Award-winning partnership brings about revolution at horse riding charity for the disabled

Release Date : 09 March 2009

A charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through opportunities for horse riding has been able to make huge positive changes to its operation and communication thanks to an award-winning partnership with the University of Reading, it was announced on 5 March.

Riding for the Disabled Association Incorporating Carriage Driving (RDA) and the University of Reading were joint winners of two awards at the 2009 Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards on 5 March. They were awarded the Best Application of Management or Social Science, sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

as well as Best Partnership Award for North West England for a project, which has transformed Riding for the Disabled Association from a largely manual organisation to a highly efficient, technology enabled enterprise.

The University of Reading, through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, provided the dedicated support of a full-time associate, Philip Crabtree, who graduated in 2005 from the Computer Science and Cybernetics degree programme at Reading, as well as the expertise of senior academic staff from its Schoolof Systems Engineering, to completely overhaul the charity's IT infrastructure.

They created a new website, streamlined the charity's management through internal IT systems and improved communication procedures between the charity and its more than 500 member groups and 18,000 volunteers. In order for the technology to be successfully adopted, the project was also highly focussed on managing the cultural change associated with such a major shift in RDA's long established working and communication practices.

Professor Rachel McCrindle of the University of Reading said: "This has been a marvellous opportunity for us to understand how a complex charitable organisation works from a business perspective as well as providing valuable case study material for incorporation into our teaching and research. Through working with RDA's member groups it also enabled our students to engage with 'real' clients during their studies. This mix of research, enterprise and teaching that the KTP scheme brings is what we are about as a University".

The University of Reading's Knowledge Transfer Centre matches the expertise of the University's staff and graduates to companies, helping them develop new products and services, as well as boosting their competitiveness and profitability. The project was funded by the ESRC and Technology Strategy Board.

Dr David Guy, Head of Knowledge Transfer, ESRC, said: "The ESRC has been supporting an increasing number of third sector KTP projects and is delighted to see the achievements of the Riding for the Disabled Association and University of Reading project being recognised through the ESRC award. We are pleased that the benefits gained through the work will impact positively on charity members, not only through enabling riders to benefit from the additional services but also by allowing RDA volunteers to spend more time with riders / carriage drivers".

Ed Bracher, Chief Executive, Riding for the Disabled Association, said: "The value of the KTP project to RDA has been immense, allowing us to develop much more sophisticated means of communication and data management. For a charity, the value of the programme also lay in the economy achieved in allowing us to make a real sea change at relatively low cost. We are really pleased and excited that these achievements have been recognised outside the organisation."

For the KTP Associate Philip Crabtree, the project created an entrepreneurial opportunity for him to run his own consultancy business, providing professional IT input to similar organisations, as well as being employed by RDA on a part-time basis to offer on-going support and IT development. "Winning the Award for Best Application of Management or Social Science is a true honour. KTP as a whole has given me a head-start in my career, and the opportunity to apply my knowledge in projects not normally available to graduates. The funding and support network has allowed me to further my professional development and gain valuable new skills."

The British Equestrian Federation has highlighted RDA's website as an example of excellent communication, to demonstrate the standards to which all equine bodies should be aiming for.

ENDS

Further information from Alex Brannen, Media Relations Manager at the University of Reading, on 0118 378 7388

Notes to editors:

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) are part of the Government's leading knowledge and technology transfer scheme, allowing businesses to access expertise available at universities. Businesses can then undertake strategically important projects such as new product development, internal improvements or developing business strategies. The Knowledge Transfer Centre at the University of Reading is the leading centre for developing and managing KTP in the country with around 50 projects.

The University of Reading is a leading place for developing and managing KTP in the country and, since its conception, the Centre has been responsible for over 150 Government-funded projects.

www.reading.ac.uk/ktc

The success of the work has been acknowledged beyond the KTP awards. The project was a finalist in the Computing for Excellence Awards, recognising excellence and exceptional performance by a panel of 12 judges at the top of their IT fields, an award nomination which has strengthened the University of Reading's reputation for undertaking applied research and enterprise activity.

Riding for the Disabled Association


>www.rda.org.uk