On Thursday 23rd May a Variety Sunshine Coach has been presented by Bingo Association Chief Executive, Miles Baron, to pupils at Broomfield SILC School in South Leeds. This Sunshine Coach is the 27th donated by The Bingo Association in the past four years. Also in attendance at the presentation were representatives from nearby Mecca Hunslett and Mecca Mayfair clubs, Tim Sobart and Helen Warrener of Mecca Leeds Mayfair.

Broomfield SILC School caters for children between the ages of 2-19 with a wide range of disabilities including Autism, wheelchair users and complex medical issues. There are 220 children at the school and approximately 150 staff.

The specially adapted Sunshine Coach will be used every day to support residential and educational trips for the children and young people. They go to the local shops and cafes, the seaside, music events, support students to get to college and work experience placements as well as enabling a play scheme to get out and about in the holidays. These activities enable the students to widen their horizons and benefit greatly from such enrichment opportunities, gaining valuable real-life skills from being out and about.

Variety’s Sunshine Coaches have helped improve the lives of thousands of disabled or disadvantaged children across the UK. The coaches enable schools to take children on education and recreational days out allowing children to explore places they would otherwise never have visited. Earlier this month, Variety donated their 5,600th Sunshine Coach in the UK.

Kathryn Bryan, Head of School, Broomfield School said: “We are delighted to be in receipt of a Sunshine Coach and on behalf of our students, staff and Governing Body, we would like to thank The Bingo Association for their extremely generous donation. It will make a huge difference to our students and we will be able to continue to provide them with valuable and exciting experiences including residentials, trips and activities. Our school motto is ‘Investing in Individuals; Transforming Lives’ and the addition of a Sunshine Coach will enable us to access a wealth of activities that will enhance the lives of all our students.”

Lyn Staunton, Variety’s Northwest Development Director, said: “We are delighted to donate one of our Sunshine Coaches today to Broomfield School, and would like to thank the Bingo Association for their huge generosity in making this possible. Every new Sunshine Coach on the road is a step towards our goal of improving the lives of disadvantaged and disabled children across the UK. The support of The Bingo Association’s members and customers has directly funded the donation of 27 Sunshine Coaches in the past four years, making a real and tangible difference to thousands of disadvantaged and disabled children around the UK.”

Miles Baron, Chief Executive of The Bingo Association, said: “I would like to thank the members, like Mecca Bingo, who are present today, for the incredible support and generosity of their customers and staff. Customers from more than 340 bingo clubs across the UK have made this very worthy donation of a Sunshine Coach possible. “We have now raised over £1.3 million for Variety in the past four years – a truly incredible amount – and it is brilliant to see that this has such a fantastic, direct impact on improving the lives of thousands of sick and disadvantaged children around the UK.”