Ten’s the winning number as the Bingo Association treats special needs schools to new minibuses

Ten schools in England, Scotland and Wales have each received a minibus to transport pupils with disabilities out into the community, where fun activities and everyday tasks, including food shopping, enable them to boost their learning and development.

The Bingo Association, working in support of Variety, the Children’s Charity, funded the minibuses, which are officially known as Variety Sunshine Coaches.

The iconic Variety Sunshine Coaches were simultaneously wheeled out of a depot in Kent over the last couple of months and have now been received by the designated schools.

Schools wasted no time in making the most of the shiny new minibuses. Staff and pupils at one school piled into their one shortly after it arrived!

“We couldn’t wait!,” enthused Lesley Mavin, headteacher of Columbia Grange School, which caters for 2 to 11 year olds with autism and learning difficulties.

“We have used the coach for lots of trips to places such as the supermarket where we bought ingredients for our teddy bear’s picnic!,” continued Lesley, who added:

“The whole school, staff parents, governors and pupils are really grateful to the Bingo Association who funded the buses as part of their on-going support of Variety the Children’s’ Charity.”

The Bingo Association has now funded 22 Variety Sunshine coaches over the last three years thanks to the fundraising efforts of the bingo industry, their staff and customers. The Bingo Association has now raised more than £1m for Variety.

Miles Baron, Chief Executive of the Bingo Association heaped praise on the bingo industry. He said: “More than 350 bingo clubs across the UK make these very worthy donations of Sunshine Coaches possible and so I must thank the generous staff and bingo players for their support.  As an industry we are delighted to be able to help more children get the most out of their childhood and reach their unique potential.”

Variety has been improving the lives of young people who are disabled, sick and disadvantaged since 1949.

Colleen Ettridge, Head of Fundraising, at Variety, told Charity Today:

“Hundreds of children today are benefiting from the generosity of the Bingo Association, its members and their staff and customers, but over many years, thousands will benefit from this generosity, which enables young people with special needs to access learning and recreational facilities outside the school environment.”

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