Bigger Bus Appeal .. driving ahead in 2013

Christmas cards and stamps are so costly, do you really need to send so many?

Move over please....

Maybe instead of sending out loads and loads of cards you could cut back on a few and tell your friends you are making a donation, instead, to help get our Happy House family on the road ... together.

Today we are launching our Happy House Bigger Bus Appeal - in the hope that in 2013 we will be able to raise enough money to buy a 34 seater bus, a vehicle big enough to take all our growing family out in one go!

We do have a mini-bus, secondhand when it was so kindly donated to us, but now our family has outgrown it.

It is fine for trips involving just a few children, but in most cases we are transporting more children, plus adult helpers, than there are seats.

The kind of bus we would like

And that's a safety issue, so we must have a vehicle in which we can safely transport a large number of children.

Trips to the dentist, hospital etc are frequent and involve a 25-mile journey each way!

Even buying school shoes is an epic trip, again 25 miles to the shoe shop, when you have 59 kids in the family. Taking children in relays takes a great deal of time out of a day, involves more staff, and is very costly, financially, in fuel and in wear and tear on the vehicle.

A larger bus is needed to enable children from outlying areas to access our school, which is now almost complete thanks to your past help and support.

We are a family, and like to travel as a family, so for family outings a bigger bus would ensure that everyone can take part.

Our older Happy House children are getting more involved in activities beyone the Happy House. They get free soccer training at Malindi Academy which is 25 miles away, they love it and we have some very good young footballers, but getting them there poses a problem.

Open wide .. all 59 of you!

Our Happy House school pupils take part in inter-school events, sporting and academic, and that can involve transporting a large number of kids a long very long way.

Football training in Malindi

We were so proud this summer when nursery school pupils won the district final of a spoken verse competition. They beat schools locally in the zone and area heats to reach the district final, which a journey of many miles.

Our fundraising target is £30,000, but we know that it is, over 2013, a possibility. There are some people who like to have a project to fundraise for, so maybe this could be it?
Our appeal has been kickstarted by Marc and Thalia Venturi who have donated the £855 they made at their recent charity night in Brighton towards a new bus, Thank you Marc and Thalia and to all those who supported your event in any way.

We are a small charity doing a very big job so it is unlikely that there will ever be a time when we will have enough money for all we need. Like Oliver we will always be asking for more!

But we know that with every day we are making new friends. People, like you, who share our belief that every child has a right to grow up safe, happy, well and loved. That every child, regardless of their beginnings, deserves a chance in life.

We thank you for caring, for taking our family into your hearts, and for your continued generosity.

To donate to our Happy House Bigger Bus Appeal please click here: http://www.justgiving.com/elizabeth-gomm and please share this link with your friends and your family.

Thank you.