2024 sees the 50th Anniversary of the opening of The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders, on the present site on Woodmansterne Road. The centre was one of the forerunners of riding for disabled and our roots go back to 1959 when our founder Keith Webb, a London Mounted Police Officer, first saw a child who was dependent on a wheelchair benefiting from riding a pony. The image stuck but it was not until 1968 when Keith, supported by Dr. Joan Bicknell, undertook a pilot scheme at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children in Carshalton to explore the benefits of riding for the patients. Six riders were chosen to ride at The Diamond Farm Riding School in Oxted, some considerable distance from the hospital. However, riding soon moved to Carshalton with Saturday afternoons at Queen Mary’s Hospital and in November 1969 The Diamond Riding Group was formed and became one of the founder members of the Riding for Disabled Association (RDA). Through the determination of Keith and his wife June, (and a lot of fundraising!), six acres of land at Queen Mary’s Hospital was leased. It took four years to transform the site, but a purpose-built centre was opened on 13th May 1974 by Princess Anne (who later became The Princess Royal). It is a testimony to Keith and June that much of what was built in 1974 has changed very little over the years and is still functional today. Today we have over 200 volunteers to help run the centre, supported by 13 full and part-time staff along with 23 horses and ponies, three arenas and our own land for grazing. Each week horse riding, carriage driving, vaulting and hippotherapy is provided for up to 360 disabled children and adults. We look forward to celebrating our 50 years and we are proud that over the past 50 years, more than 6,000 disabled riders have benefitted from riding at Diamond. Later this year we will be staging a 50th Anniversary exhibition at Honeywood Museum, Carshalton – dates to be confirmed.
