Community Play Bus Charity Highlights Essential Nature of Children in Need Funding

A charitable organization operating a community play bus has stated that financial support from BBC’s Children in Need is essential for its continued operation. The vividly colored bus, named Denis, travels to various sites within Ipswich and can accommodate as many as 16 children along with their parents or guardians during each session. The organization has consistently received grants from Children in Need previously, and is presently allocated £98,000, which extends until January 2027. Mandy Potter, the Play Bus co-ordinator, remarked: “If they didn’t fund us, we’d probably struggle, and it would could possibly mean the loss of this wonderful facility.” She further stated: “Their money is vital in keeping this service going so that we can now access more areas to engage more young children and their families.” Ms. Potter indicated that the grant finances half of the six weekly sessions conducted by the charity, commenting: “Which is a real good backbone, especially as we’ve had to pay for Denis; the bus and the transformation of him as well. But that is to push it forward into the next 15 years.” Denis, which previously served as a London bus, underwent refurbishment at an approximate cost of £80,000, funded by the charity’s own reserves. Denis took over from Maggie, the preceding bus, which had operated for 21 years. Trish Tigges frequently attends with her grandchildren. She commented: “It is absolutely brilliant, they love the Playbus, especially the sand and dressing up.” She added: “They are very friendly and welcoming and it’s quite local to where we all live, so it’s just a case of walking down.” She concluded: “There’s not much else available around this area.” BBC Children in Need typically awards grants spanning three years. Presently, eight organizations across Suffolk are beneficiaries of grants amounting to more than £500,000. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.