The rain couldn’t stop the sunshine when Caerphilly Children’s Centre was presented with a Variety Sunshine Coach sponsored by Stonegate Pub Company.

The Assessment Nursery is a vital service for these children and their families. It’s part of a multi-agency team based at the Centre. During the evenings and weekends the minibus will be be used by the Shared Care (respite) Service, also based at the Children’s Centre. This includes an Outreach element which takes disabled young people to local activities and events such as bowling, cinema and shows. During the school holidays children and young people are transported to play schemes at the Centre as well as taking the children and their families on trips.

Carolyn Jones, Service Co-ordinator, Caerphilly Children’s Centre said:

“We would like to send a big thank you to Variety and Stonegate for their donation towards a new mini-bus to be used at the Caerphilly Children’s Centre. The Centre offers services to over 1000 disabled children, young people and their families who live in the Caerphilly Borough.

The mini-bus will enable disabled children to attend the Assessment Nursery at the Centre as well as trips and events that they are normally unable to access due to transport difficulties. It will also enable many disabled young people to access leisure activities and other events that they could not attend without the mini-bus. We are very grateful for the continued support of Variety – this is our third Sunshine Coach and our commissioners and the local authority recognise the huge added value that a Sunshine Coach provides for our services here.”

The coach presented to Caerphilly Children’s Centre is one of seven funded by Stonegate having raised over £310,000 through ‘Britain’s Biggest Pub Tour’ which took place throughout the summer.