The coach, which has a tail lift to aid accessibility, will be used for educational visits, to travel to courses at a local college, to provide transport for residential pupils and those with respite packages and to help work towards independent living for students.

Chailey Heritage School, in North Chailey near Lewes, Sussex, is a charitable special school for children and young adults, aged between 3 and 19, with complex physical disabilities, including visual and hearing impairments, and associated learning difficulties. Some of the pupils have a profound learning disability in addition to other disabilities.

Handing over the keys, Mark Jones, Finance Director, Crest Nicholson South, commented:

“We have a long history of fundraising for Variety, the Children’s Charity, and we are delighted to be able to deliver this Sunshine Coach to Chailey Heritage School. This is the fifth coach that we have donated via the charity and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Variety Chief Barker, Keith Andrews, said:

“Variety, the Children’s Charity, is enormously grateful for the generous and continuing support of Crest Nicholson. The commitment of their staff and management over many years has meant that hundreds of children have experienced activities they would otherwise never have and which most of us take for granted.We receive no government funding and rely entirely on the support of companies like Crest Nicholson, to continue our work helping to improve the lives of children and young people who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged. The coach presented to Chailey Heritage School will be life changing for the children and young people, allowing them to access the wider community and enjoy experiences that would otherwise be denied them.”