We are sad to announce that Geraldine Walker, one of our most long-standing members, has passed away.

Elizabeth Beckerlegge (previous ACPEA Chair) has written this fitting tribute to a much-valued and respected colleague.

Geraldine Walker FCSP

27/10/1935 – 12/06/2026

Gerry Walker died peacefully after a long life of service to Physiotherapy, RDA and ACPEA. Without her ACPEA would not exist, she was one of the founding members in 1970 and was secretary for many years. Her name was synonymous with the CSPSISRD, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Specific Interest Section Riding for the Disabled, as it was known back then. I joined as a student member in 1972 and Gerry was a wonderful inspiration, support, mentor, encourager and friend ever since.

Gerry had her early childhood in East Africa and her love of horses and dogs began very early in life, learning to ride initially on a donkey but progressing to be a very competent rider. She came to England for senior school, thriving at Wycombe Abbey, enjoying all the sporting activities and academic challenges. She did her Physiotherapy training at St Thomas’s Hospital in London and qualified in 1957.  Rotational posts followed in Hampshire with rapid progression through the grades ultimately becoming Superintendent Physiotherapist at Lord Mayor Treloars school in Hampshire. Her particular interest was orthopaedics and neurodisability. Her greatest honour was being awarded a Fellowship of the CSP in 1994 in recognition of ‘her advancement of the profession of Physiotherapy’. The following is an excerpt from the citation for her fellowship:

She brought to the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Riding for the Disabled her experience of people with a wide range of disabilities who she knew would benefit from riding. Through local contact with riding schools, Geraldine Walker was able to offer an excellent base where fellow members could study the movement of the horse, its care, training and suitability for work with disabled people. In the early days, when many current techniques were not available to physiotherapists, the needs of disabled adults and children were in-part met by horse riding permitted by enlightened medical practitioners when supervised by Physiotherapists

Geraldine Walker was instrumental in organising and assisting with the production of members’ handbooks and helped in developing the syllabus for The Horse in Rehabilitation Level I and II post registration certificates, linking with the Physiotherapy Access to Continuing Education programme. She lectured both nationally and internationally on this form of rehabilitation.

ACPEA has so much to thank Gerry for. The Horse in Rehabilitation course went on to develop a Level III Hippotherapy, Gerry and I were on the initial pilot course for that in 1995. The whole course was used as the basis for a Level 7 course, originally with Robert Gordan University and currently with Ulster University.

Gerry was closely involved with Broadlands RDA group in Hampshire and she was also RDA Regional Physiotherapist for The South for many years. The hippotherapy pilot course was held at Broadlands for a residential 5 days and we have also had many training days there. Our committee meetings were held in Gerry’s home at The Orchard, Broadlands and those of us who were members of the committee then have many fond memories of hard work around her kitchen table interspersed with ‘horse and dog therapy’ and lively pub meals! She was a very hard worker, very sincere and compassionate, and very dedicated to whatever she set her mind to.

Gerry spent the last 3 years of her life in residential care which she enjoyed, it was her decision to go there as she felt she needed more support as her mobility deteriorated. She was very involved with the life of the home (as she would be!), organising weekly quizzes, sitting on various committees and enjoying outings. She was on the interview panel for new staff the week she died. She went carriage driving in her beloved New Forest last year and enjoyed many outings with family and friends.

So, we thank Gerry for all she has done. We shall miss her, but her legacy lives on with all the wisdom and knowledge she imparted, with all her written material we still have and in all the lives she influenced.

Elizabeth Beckerlegge

July 2026

Gerry very kindly bequeathed a sum of money to ACPEA. The Executive Committee will consider how to put this to best use for our members. Such a kind and thoughtful gesture from Gerry.