A charity which helps to clothe and support underprivileged children is hoping to win a the Press and Journal’s minibus competition.
Moray School Bank collects donations of school uniforms and winter clothes and donating them to families in need.
The charity, based in Rothes, deals with more than 100 referrals a year – but hopes that if it wins the P&J minibus, even more families could benefit.
The team want to roll out a new scheme – dreamed up by 12-year-old Hannah Ross – to take children and parents on day trips during the school holidays.
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Hannah, a pupil at Speyside High School, organised a trip to Landmark for 49 people over the summer, with all the costs paid for through numerous grants.
Her hard work has inspired her mother, Debi Weir – the chairwoman of Moray School Bank – to make the trips a regular fixture for struggling families, and believes the minibus could pivotal to their success.
She said: “A minibus would be a fantastic help when we adopt this project as hiring a bus out for the day is really expensive.
“The minibus would also make a difference in the local community as well, as we would hire it out to anyone who needed it. There is nothing like it at all in Speyside at the moment.
“It would absolutely make a huge difference if we won the competition as it would allow us to bring more young volunteers in to help us in Rothes who have expressed an interest but have no transport to get here.”
To win the £40,000 17-seater Ford Transit, the group must collect as many tokens as they can and submit them to the P&J – and are calling for the local community to help.
Each entry form must have 50 tokens attached, and groups can enter as many times as they like. Tokens will be printed in the P&J until February 3, so groups are urged to act fast.
The competition, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by CNOOC International and is open to all community organisations in the north and north-east.
All entries must be received by February 11. Visit www.pressandjournal.co.uk/minibus for more information.
