As part of a NHS project to better understand the health inequalities that people with disabilities or families on low-income face in accessing activities that support their health & wellbeing, Community Transport Sussex worked with us to deliver transportation to families in the north of the district for a free family outing. We approached The Aldingbourne Country Centre who were kind enough to offer us a discount on the entrance fees so as many families as possible could afford the trip We also made an application via Hyde Housing’s online initiative ‘MatchMyProject’ for further support and were approached by Purdy Contracts Ltd who kindly offered to cover the total cost of the tickets with sufficient funds left over to treat everyone to a train ride! 8 families attended which included 10 adults and 13 children.
The day was very successful, the children had fun playing in the soft play area, at the outdoor water and sand area and of course visiting and petting the animals. A picnic lunch was enjoyed together, and children made the most of the large hills by having rolling races down them! The trip was a wonderful opportunity for families to make friends and feel supported taking their children to a public space and witnessing how much their children enjoyed playing together with others. The impact of the trip was huge; for some this would not have been possible without the generosity of our funders; two families even felt confident that they could arrange a similar trip themselves in the future.
What families said about the trip
“Now that we know about Book a Bus, we’ve arranged a trip to the beach in Bognor with another family we met!”
My little one loved the freedom of running free and playing with the other children”
“I was so nervous about coming today but my child had so much fun, I want to do more trips!”
