Representatives of the Lord’s Taverners and the Surrey office of Investec Wealth & Investment presented staff and pupils at Gosden House School in Surrey with a new specially adapted minibus on Thursday 7 December. The minibus was presented as a direct result of the Investec Ashes 2015 Cycle Challenge which raised over £200,000 for the Lord’s Taverners and other beneficiaries.
Gosden House School is a special school for children between the ages of 4 and 16 years of age. It provides a personalised education for children with a range of complex learning difficulties, including Speech and Language and those with an additional diagnosis such as Autistic Spectrum Condition.
Since 1976, the Lord’s Taverners has placed over 1,100 accessible minibuses across schools in the UK and, as a result of the success of the 2013 and 2015 Investec Ashes Cycle Challenges, ten new minibuses have been put on the roads for disadvantaged and disabled youngsters throughout the UK.
This summer, former England cricketer Darren Gough and over 100 cyclists conquered a 300-mile ride from Manchester to London between the 2005 Ashes venues, to raise further funds for the Lord’s Taverners and other beneficiaries. The iconic Lord’s Taverners minibuses provide young disadvantaged and disabled people with the chance to engage with their local community by getting more access to the facilities on offer and build important life skills in the process.
Simon Tabb, Director at Investec Wealth & Investment, said: “It’s been humbling being here today for the presentation of this Lord’s Taverners minibus and to see the impact it will have on these young people here at Gosden House School. I know that with the range of opportunities this minibus will create, these youngsters will have a better chance of developing and securing themselves a brighter future”.
Paul Robin, Chief Executive of the Lord’s Taverners, said: “The Lord’s Taverners is delighted to present Gosden House School with their new minibus. The minibus scheme is deep-rooted in our values to enhance the prospects of disadvantaged and disabled young people in the UK through providing access to sporting and recreational activities. Thanks to the fantastic work of Investec and the participants of the Investec Ashes Cycle Challenge we are able to support more schools across the UK and create even more sporting chances.”
Since 1976, the Lord’s Taverners has placed over 1,100 accessible minibuses across schools in the UK. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first minibus giveaway, and to celebrate this, the charity will be giving away a record 40 minibuses in 2016. The iconic Lord’s Taverners minibuses provide young disadvantaged and disabled people with the chance to engage with their local community by getting more access to the facilities on offer and build important life skills in the process.
In total, the Lord’s Taverners will donate over £3 million this year to help give disadvantaged and disabled young people a ‘sporting chance’ enabling over 200,000 young people with disabilities to enjoy new places and experiences every year. To find out more about the charity, go to www.lordstaverners.org.
