Cross country of a different kind at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
Jaguar Land Rover is well known in eventing circles as the sponsor of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials and riders such as Harry Meade and Zara Phillips but the company has recently put its workforce behind helping a rider of a very different kind.
Around 10,000 Jaguar Land Rover employees, a third of its UK workforce, donate over 115,000 hours on community volunteering per year and recently four Jaguar Land Rover second year Advanced Apprentices Lauren Tolliday, Robert Wardle, Jason Brown and Alex Milner met young rider Keeley Cullen to observe her at a riding therapy session.
Keeley is eight years old and has cerebral palsy. She’s been riding since she was three and the exercise plays an important part of her physiotherapy. Keeley has always been lifted onto a horse but, during a recent inspection, the Ford Farm stables were told this could no longer happen so she would have to stop riding. The Riding for the Disabled Association then approached REMLAP, a national charity which matches skilled volunteers, including engineers and technicians, with individuals affected by disability, to see if they could help find a solution.
Jaguar Land Rover’s apprentice team worked closely with Remlap to design steps, which needed to moveable and lightweight and wide enough for carer and child, to ensure they developed a solution which met the needs of Keeley and other children at the riding club. Lauren Tolliday explained, “The project was a good opportunity for us to learn new skills such as project planning management, teamwork and communication, and also make a positive impact on the lives of others. We selected materials to ensure strength and practicability and developed the idea through fabricating and testing numerous structures that met the specification.
Through feedback from our managers and skilled workers we were able to select the most suitable design. Along the journey, we faced many problems such as how to make the steps mobile, welding aluminium and sourcing a non-slip surface for the steps which we overcame as a team by sharing our problem solving ideas and trial and error.”
Harry Meade pictured with Keeley and the JLR Apprentices
Young rider Keeley Cullen said, “I’m so happy that the apprentices have made steps so my friends and I can continue to take part in riding lessons. I really love riding and was sad when I was told I’d have to stop doing it. Thank you to Lauren, Robert, Jason and Alex for designing and building these amazing steps, they’re so easy to use and mean my Mum won’t have to lift me anymore which has been getting really hard for her as I get older.”
Land Rover Ambassador and eventing rider Harry Meade joined the apprentices at the celebration event to find out more about the project. Harry commented, “The Jaguar Land Rover apprentices have done an amazing job in creating the hi-tech steps specifically for Keeley. She has to live with her disability, but the steps will enable her to do what she loves most. Horses can have an incredible effect on people's lives, helping them overcome disability or anxiety. Seeing the thought that has gone into the project and difference it will make to Keeley's life is wonderful.”
