A group of Aberdeenshire youngsters hope that getting their hands on a new minibus would enable them to explore the outdoors.
Inverurie Out Of School Club currently has reduced space for youngsters to play in, as part of nearby playing fields have been closed off while the town’s community campus is built.
The community group is one of hundreds of across the north and north-east vying to secure a 17-seater bus.
For the fifth year in a row, The Press And Journal has teamed up with energy firm CNOOC International to give away the vehicle.
Manager, Rhona Grimbley, said: “We should be moving into the community campus when it is built, but for now we have lost our outdoor playing space.
“If we could just hop in a minibus and take them a mile up the road it would be great.
“We are out every day but there is little room for everyone just now.
“I could see us being out every day during our holiday club too.
“It would be so handy just to pop to Duthie Park if it was a nice day, because at the minute it costs us £300 to book a bus.
“It’s really important for the kids to get outside.”
Ongoing improvements in the town have affected the club in other ways too.
Fees have been increased as the independent charity has been forced to incur £200 bills every week to shuttle pupils of the recently opened Uryside School to Garioch Community Centre by taxi.
Previously they had been a stone’s throw away at Market Place School.
Ms Grimbley said parents, grandparents and anyone connected to the club had been collecting the tokens needed to score the sought after 17-seater bus.
“It would save us a lot of money,” she added.
“It’s too far for the kids to walk and, as a registered charity and non-profit-making, we have not got the spare cash for these taxis.
“Unfortunately we have had to put our fees up to cover the cost of these taxis so there has been a knock-on effect on the parents too.”
Hundreds of organisations – including Guides, bowling, golf, church, school and dance groups – took part in last year’s competition before Orkney Gymnastics Club finally drove away with the prize.
To win the bus, the club is trying to collect as many tokens as it can, before submitting them to The P&J.
A total of 50 tokens are needed per entry and organisations can enter as many times as they like.
Tokens will be printed in The P&J until February 1 and must be submitted by the competition’s closing date of February 10.
