Charity on board with Mencap for new bus
A CAMBRIDGE charity for people with learning difficulties has a new minibus thanks to benefactors including the News' Press Relief fund.All aboard: New minibus for Mencap
The fundraising arm of the Cambridge Evening News handed over £5,000 to the charity after it emerged its minibus fleet faced difficulties with old vehicles.
Mencap, which has bases in Chesterton and Milton, relies heavily on a small fleet of minibuses to ferry its users around the city but in recent years they have been getting old and in need to increased maintenance.
Stephanie Brittan, development officer at Mencap, said:
"We are delighted to take delivery of the new minibus which we would not have been able to do without the support we have had from local businesses in the community.
"We would like to extend an extra-special thanks to the Cambridge Evening News' charity fund, Press Relief, which gave a donation of £5,000 to our fund which enabled us to complete the purchase of the new minibus."
Andy Gough, Cambridge Newspapers managing director and Press Relief chairman of trustees, said: "It's good to know the results of our fundraising efforts can have such a positive impact on the lives of local people.
"This donation to Mencap is a perfect example of this. Press Relief offers the Cambridge Evening News the opportunity to really do something special and to put its influence to good work.
"With the help of our readers we have already raised a substantial sum of money and working closely together with the community we really can all make a difference," he added.
Cash in the Press Relief coffers is raised by community groups, local businesses and the News' own fundraising team through events including the Cambridge Press Ball and the Bridge the Gap walk, which will be held on September 5 this year.
The charity, which was also helped by Cambridge Building Society, St Mary's and St Mark's churches in Cambridge, Barclays, St Andrew's Housing Office, the Friends and family of Edmund House, Jim Whitehead, trustee at Isaac Newton University Lodge and painter Aidan Wheatcroft.