AN AMBITIOUS fund-raising bid to raise more than £32,000 for an adapted minibus has been launched by an Evesham after school club.
Shine Out of School Club has taken the wraps of their Crowdfunder campaign for £32,635 to secure a vehicle to collect children from school and take those attending their HAF clubs out during school holidays.
The charity provides high quality after-school care for Vale youngsters aged between three and 10-years-old from a number of Evesham schools while parents and carers have to work or study.
Bosses hope the new minibus will help improve the process of picking up children from school in addition to the walking bus which it also operates.
The campaign has so far attracted 58 pledges totalling more than £11,500 ahead of the deadline of March 31 including a £10,000 cash injection from Crowdfund Worcestershire.
Mayor of Evesham Coun Mark Goodge and town MP Nigel Huddleston were among the guests at a launch event where Shine staff made their case to representatives of local organisations.
In addition to the plea for help, local dignitaries also met parents, children and the team at Shine Out of School Clubs.
After short presentation, refreshments were served and there was plenty of time to see and hear what makes Shine such a special provision.
Among the children who attend the club are those with specific physical or educational needs, including a wheelchair user, and those whose first language is not English.
Annette France, one of the four trustees of Shine Out of School Clubs, said: “We are thrilled to receive the £10,000 pledge towards the purchase of a minibus for our clubs.
“For a small charity like ours, raising such an enormous sum seemed almost impossible, but Crowdfund Worcestershire have kick started our campaign and inspired us and, we hope, other backers. We cannot thank them enough.”
Worcestershire County Council has pledged more than £60,000 to boost 14 local projects towards their crowdfunding targets.
Supporting homelessness, establishing transport links and providing access to fresh foods as part of a community fridge campaign are among the ambitious projects supported.
Project creators have been drumming up support from their communities and are all crowdfunding as part of Crowdfund Worcestershire, a fund led by Worcestershire County Council and delivered by Spacehive, a specialist crowdfunding platform.
As part of the scheme, local residents and groups with an idea to improve their community have the opportunity to pitch to the County Council and secure funding to bring their idea to life.
Anybody can get behind the projects, with pledges starting at £2.
Visit www.spacehive.com/eveshamshineminibus for more.
