Main fundraiser photo

Playbus and Preschool Project

A bit about me

I am an Early Years Educator from South East London and have been working with small children since 2010. I was volunteering in an orphanage in South America when I realised that I wanted to help young children thrive and flourish, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Those are the children that need love and support the most and I wanted to do something about it, however I could. 

Why am I fundraising? 

Since returning to the UK I have studied for a Childcare Diploma and have been working in Pre-school settings around South East London.
Through my work I began to notice that high quality, holistic care comes at a high price and that the children who would benefit most were missing out.
As a single parent I became one of the people to whom high quality childcare was out of reach.
I was unable to afford the early education which I hoped my daughter would enjoy and I was left at a loss as to how I could offer my daughter the very best in these important years.
My daughter is 5 now and at Primary School but this has not stopped me from dreaming of providing the highest quality childcare for  the children who need it most in my area. 


What am I fundraising for?

In short, I am fundraising for a double decker bus. But not just any bus.....a fully equipped playbus and pre-school / nursery!
In my local ward of South Norwood there are only 35 full time childcare places available per 100 children, and of 729 childcare providers, only 2 are registered pre-schools.
Local Authority Childcare Sufficiency reports show that there is a lack of early years education in my surrounding areas also, in particular in Crystal Palace and Penge.
There are year long waiting lists (at least!) for most pre-schools and nurseries and competition for places is fierce.
Government funded places are available but are often filled quickly leaving many children without early education.
With this in mind, I am dreaming, wishing and crossing everything possible in the hope that I can fund my project, Belli Monelli Pre-School and Playbus.

The Belli Monelli bus will house a pre-school and play facility and will provide a vital service; the highest quality, holistic and nurturing early years care to children from all backgrounds and especially to the children who need it most.
In addition to the pre-school, I will run play sessions on the bus, offer private hire for parties and organise community events.
Regular play sessions will be free to children from impoverished areas and backgrounds. I will host classes and enrichment activities and I will be aiming to run free educational workshops at least once a month. 


The money talk!

I am aiming to raise £10k to cover the cost of the bus and the necessary refurbishments and start up costs.

The bus itself costs £8k
Refurbishment and renovation will cost around £1k
Insurance and registration costs will be in excess of £1k

I am applying for Government grants and funding wherever possible, but this only goes so far......that is why I need you!!

Once all work has taken place and my bus is fully registered and ready to go, I will be offering 15 fully funded childcare places to children from deprived backgrounds in the local area.
The government funding I receive for these children will be used to pay for an additional member of staff and to cover day to day costs.
I will be offering advice and support to their families, providing their children with the highest quality love and care and will also be offering opportunities for integration and involvement with the local community.

Timescales

I want my Pre-school to be up and running as soon as possible.
I have found a suitable bus, I have found people willing to help with renovations and I have the staff ready to go....all I need now is the money to be able to start up!
I am praying and hoping that through the generosity of the people reading this, that I will be able to start soon.

The thankyou

I do not really know how to put into words how grateful I would be if I was able to achieve my funding goal. Not only would this project change my life and that of my daughter, but also for many families in my local area, now and for years to come.
This project may not be on a grand and large scale, but I truly believe that small changes and projects can make a difference, and I would like to be one of those small changes making a difference and improving the lives of children in my area.

For business donations I will be considering bus branding so please contact me for details.

Thankyou for reading and thankyou for any donation you can make, no matter how small (or big!)

With hope, Charlotte

Donations 

  • Simon Farrow
    • £50 
    • 6 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • £20 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs

Organizer

Charlotte Farrow
Organizer

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