Dales School which specialises in improving the lives of children from the age of four through to eleven with special needs in the area is now the proud owner of one of the iconic coaches which has been specially fitted to meet their exact needs and will be able to transport the young passengers to any destination in comfort and safety.

This coach donation has been made possible as Variety is one of the beneficiaries of the Leeds Building Society ‘Your Interest in Theirs’ scheme. This works by members agreeing to forego up to 99p of their interest each year and this money is then split equally between the Society’s four charity partners, of which Variety, the Children’s Charity is one. In addition Leeds Building Society also donates 1% of the average balance in all Caring Saver Accounts which is shared equally between its four charity partners.

Jonathan Epworth, Leeds Building Society’s branch manager in Blyth and Morpeth said:

“We are very proud to be sponsoring this Variety Sunshine Coach. We are delighted to offer support to disadvantaged children and young people who deserve to participate in every aspect of school life and to spread their wings into the community. This coach will enable them to do this.”

Head teacher at Dales School, Hugh Steele told us:

“This is fantastic for the school and our pupils as this not only means the students can travel in a safe, reliable, comfortable new coach, but this also gives our students the opportunity to get out in the community and explore facilities further afield.

“We know from experience that our pupils learn better through experiential learning and experiences, rather than just being sat in classroom, and this new coach will allow us to do that. With schools budgets being tighter than ever, without the help of Variety and Leeds Building Society, we simply would not be able to offer the same opportunities to our pupils.”

For more information about how Leeds Building Society is supporting Variety contact colleen.ettridge@variety.org.uk