Natalie O'Rourke awarded MBE after fundraising £1.3m for stable in crisis

An MBE for leading an incredible fundraising campaign has been described as a "fairytale" by Natalie O'Rourke, who was recognised in the New Year's Honours List exactly a year on from when the situation at Park Lane Stables was at its bleakest.

The urban riding school in Teddington, south-west London, specialises in providing opportunities for children and the disabled, but looked to face an uncertain future after their landlord informed them on December 31, 2020 he was selling the property and they would have to leave.

O'Rourke needed to raise £1 million by the end of February to buy the property and began a crowdfunding campaign on New Year's Day, admitting she "didn't see a future" for the stables.

But the fundraiser gained incredible traction when the story was aired on BBC and ITV's breakfast programmes and supported by a number of celebrities and, by the deadline, contributions from more than 32,000 sources had raised £1.3m. She described it at the time as "like winning the Grand National".

The sale, however, proved complicated as talks broke down after three months. They were evicted and temporarily relocated to nearby Manor House Stables. It took until October for the sale to be agreed and they moved back to Park Lane Stables on December 16.

O'Rourke was shocked to receive news she had been nominated for an MBE shortly after, and thanked the many involved to help the stable return home.

"It's unbelievable really, it's been such a tough year, so for this to happen at the end is like a fairytale," she said. "It's a year to the day that I started the crowdfunder and I couldn't see a future.

"I remember at the time it looking so bleak and I didn't know what to do. I was really down but now 365 days later look what's happened, it's been incredible.

'It's a Christmas miracle' - disabled riding school returns to original home

"I hope it gives other people who are going through a difficult time that bit of hope so they can realise it doesn't have to be the end. Whatever situation you're in you can dig deep and turn it around.

"We want to say thanks to lots of people; we're planning a street party to celebrate. The racing fraternity have been very supportive and we're grateful for that."

Park Lane Stables is busier than ever since returning home just over a fortnight ago with a high level of interest from those wanting to learn to ride and volunteer. O'Rourke hopes the stables can continue to grow in 2022.

"We're looking forward now. We haven't been able to make plans as we weren't sure whether we were going to survive. It's a good feeling and everyone is happy that we've come back; we're going to stay forever," she added.

"Through this journey I hope people realise that horses are for everybody. We've got a bit more of a voice now, so we can make horses more accessible to more people.

"It's not an elitist sport and I hope that's what comes out of it. We want more kids riding from different areas and falling in love with horses like I did."

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