In 2019 we launched the Better BUSiness Appeal in conjunction with Banbury Howard who generously offered their services pro bono. The aim was to raise money to buy two minibuses for the project in Ghana and Togo.

The fundraising appeal resulted in 20 businesses signing up to help buy one minibus for Ghana and one for Togo and culminated in a gala dinner and auction held at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall on Friday 11th October.

The original target of raising £40,000 was almost doubled and meant that Simon Milton, Director of Futurestars charity was able to travel to Ghana the following week to place the order for the two buses.

The full list of companies who bought donated ‘seats on the bus’ is below and we are tremendously grateful both to those companies and the people to donated fantastic auction prizes too: Sumaridge Wine Estates, Lydia Brooks, Hintlesham Golf Club, Titus Bramble and the Stellar Group and Futurestars, who offered a once in a lifetime trip to Ghana.

The minibuses are Mercedes Sprinter Vans that undergo an amazing transformation to add windows and seating for 23 (driver, coach and 21 children) and here’s the first one created and branded in Ghana ready to go!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.