“People say magic isn’t real, but it’s real at Park Lane.”

We’d like to introduce you to Hannah. You might recognise her as a regular smiling face in our posts, as she’s been part of the Park Lane team for over a decade. But she’s shy, and often happy to be in the background.

Now we’ve persuaded her that she should be on our ‘Meet the team’ page, and we’d like you to get to know her a little better here too.

Natalie says: “Hannah may be shy, but she has a skillset that I definitely don’t have. Because she’s patient, quiet and steady, our most vulnerable participants are much more likely to open up to her than to me as I’m always a bit manic. She’s brilliant with people with selective mutism because they don’t feel under pressure to speak – which of course can lead to real breakthrough moments. She’s a quiet, steadying influence on the horses too, which is another fantastic asset to bring to the team.”

Hannah also happens to be visually impaired, something which can lead to being overlooked when it comes to job applications. That says more about the short-sightedness of employers in our view, but if you live with a disability is sadly a fact of life.

Our team are defined by their skills, not their disabilities

As we live life with the RDA motto of ‘it’s what you can do that counts’ we employ people based purely on their skills. Around half of our small salaried team has a disability of some sort, some obvious, some not, and none remotely diminishing what they bring to the team. And this group of people are not just relatable for our participants, who see what can be achieved, but truly inspiring too.

We are very lucky to have recently been awarded a grant by fabulous local charity The Hampton Fund, specifically to help support salaries of team members with a disability.

Hannah says: “Receiving a grant allows more of us who may be excluded from other industries for being different and living with disabilities to secure jobs we love. It helps participants to find a new hobby, make new friends with likeminded people, and build on their strengths in a world that focuses on weaknesses and sees difference as a bad thing.

Horses are non-judgemental, and it’s amazing how much you learn, and how much you grow, in their company and that of empathetic people. At Park Lane, you may go on your own journey, but you’ll grow together.

I was leading a girl on a ride a while ago, and the warmth I felt when she said ‘I like you because you’re not like normal people’ was immeasurable. All I did was listen to her. People say magic isn’t real, but it’s real at Park Lane.”

And I’ve just found out that Hannah will be running in the London Marathon this year, too. How amazing is that?

Find out more about The Hampton Fund, which exists to address needs and improve quality of life for residents in the Richmond Borough, on our Supporters page

Meet Hannah on our Meet the team page