Park Lane Stables (PLS), a Teddington-based Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) centre, received a £10,000 grant from the London Freemason Charity, enabling staff to become qualified counsellors and provide immediate, free mental health support through equine activities.

PLS is an award-winning RDA centre with a wide programme of activities, including assisted riding, horse care, carriage driving, equine therapy and hippotherapy.

Based in Teddington, it is one of the few remaining urban stables in Greater London with horses and humans alike at the heart of the local community.

The £10,000 grant from the London Freemason Charity has enabled PLS to allow members of its team to attend a specific training course to upskill and become qualified counsellors, enabling them to offer more services to more people who otherwise might be waiting for mental health intervention.

The impact of this is immeasurable as the outcome without intervention is unthinkable. 

For example, a parent contacted PLS regarding their teenage daughter who would not leave the house but had expressed an interest in horses.

PLS engaged the daughter immediately with no waiting time, and no charge to the family. 

The positive impact this has had on the whole family is huge and has opened up conversation in the household. 

PLS Manager Natlie O'Rourke said: "I am so delighted that we are able to help people immediately with immediate positive results for the whole family.

"It's a dream come true to be able to say yes to families immediately and we are so appreciative."

London Freemasons' Paul King added: "I'm really pleased we've been able to help the Park Lane Stables with their work to help disabled people in South West London with a wide range of horse riding activities, potentially avoiding interventions and improving outcomes."

London Freemasonry is overseen by the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London, under the United Grand Lodge of England.

The Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London was founded in October 2003 and has around 30,000 members in 1,200 Lodges.

In recent years, London Freemasons have:

Paid £3 million for the installation of a state-of-the-art Cyberknife radio therapy machine in Bart's Hospital.

Doubled the amount of Rapid Response London Ambulance cars on the streets of London.

Donated over £2.1 million London's badly needed second emergency air ambulance.

Funded £2.5 million to purchase on behalf of London Fire Brigade two super high rescue ladders (the highest in use in Europe) to help in safely evacuating residents from high rise buildings, in addition to six rapid response vehicles and four bariatric stretchers.

The London Freemasons has pledged to raise £3 million to help the London Air Ambulance charity in its largest ever appeal, 'Up Against Time', to raise £15 million by autumn 2024 to replace its helicopter fleet.