
(l-r) Steve Bielby, Liz Rawson and Krisztina Buda from Bethany School, Frances Cornelius from Variety, Shan Seewooruthun from the BC Club, and Joe Barnett and Diane Makariou from Beaucroft School and members of the BC Club.
Variety, the Children’s Charity, presented three Sunshine Coaches to schools in Bournemouth and Colehill thanks to a donation from the BC Club.
The club is a group of businessmen in the area which raises money for good causes and gave £100,000 to buy the buses.
One was presented to St Clement’s and St John’s CE Infant school and Bethany CE Junior School in Bournemouth, and two were given to Beaucroft Foundation School in Colehill near Wimborne.
Emblazoned with the Variety logo, the coaches will enable staff to take children out and on trips that they would otherwise be unable to experience.
The Variety charity provides practical support that makes a difference to disabled and disadvantaged youngsters.
Frances Cornelius from the charity said: “On behalf of the schools and Variety I’d like to thank the BC Club for funding these Sunshine Coaches.
“They will provide children with amazing memories that they will take forward for the rest of their lives.
“We believe every child has a right to live their best life and reach their full potential, whoever they are.
“We fund and deliver life-changing programmes that give children and young people across the UK a better future – and we couldn’t do our work without donations.”
Shan Seewooruthun, chairman of the BC Club that has raised more than £500,000 since its inception in 2008, said: “We have worked with Variety before and they were able to advise where we could spend the money.
“It was raised during a campaign in which members drove an old London cab for a week, each raising as much as they could.
“In the end more than £150,000 was raised by our members through the taxi and it was fitting that most of it went on some rather more modern modes of transport.”
Diane Makariou, co-head of Beaucroft School, said: “This will make a huge difference to the school and will enable us to offer much more to the children.
“We’d love to send a big thankyou to Variety and the BC Club.”
Steve Bielby, deputy head of Bethany School, said: “We have many children whose lives will be greatly improved by our being able to take them out on trips in the Sunshine Coach.”