Happier days for the old minibus pic: Croydon Carers

A charity in Croydon is halfway towards to raising enough money to buy a new minibus, which they desperately need.

Croydon Carers Centre put out a call for help three months ago after it became apparent they could not afford to keep running the old one.

Since their plea, they have received almost £2,000, but they still have a long way to go to reach their £6,000 target. So far medical shops and supermarkets have offered financial assistance.

New TfL regulations meant the centre in Katharine Street would need to spend around £4,000 on fitting the necessary filters to the existing minibus to keep it roadworthy.

Ray Greenway, chairman of the charity, said: “We are getting help in small bits and pieces. For example, last week we managed to get about £80, and we are hoping to get a donation of up to 500 more pounds from the local Tesco’s next week.”

He added: “We have not got any help from any government sources or from any big businesses. Bigger businesses approach us with discounts for our shopping but are never interested in donating funds for our minibus.”

The replacement of the minibus would make a large difference to the disabled children and elderly people who benefit from the service for shopping and day trips.

The centre also offers other services such as advice for carers about matters relating to caring including the benefit system, a telephone helpline, individual counselling and support groups.

To make a donation, contact Tina Ganson on 0208 688 7219.