A BRADFORD charity which provides a lifeline for children and young people with disabilities has started a crowdfunding page to raise money for a new minibus.

Bradford PHAB, which was established by volunteers in the city in 1972 and relies totally on donations, has made two recent pleas for help to get a newer model of a minibus after their 20-year-old model, given to them by Kent PHAB, started to cost them in repair bills.

They hoped a school or community group which was getting a new vehicle would allow them to buy their old one and had between £3,000 and £4,000 to pay for it.

Unfortunately no one came forward.

“Sadly we got no response,” said Bradford PHAB chairman Akbar Khan.

“We are in desperate need of a new minibus to replace our current one so the club can transport our members and continue to provide events, trips and activities for the less able across Bradford and surrounding district,” he said.

Mr Khan said he has already spoken to Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport about the possibility of them selling their old vehicle to them when they came to renewal time but this was to no avail.

He was told the school’s old minibuses are sold off at auction when they get new ones and WYPT said there were restrictions on selling their old vehicles to the public.

People with disabilities have enormous potential. They want to play a part in society, to make a contribution, but too often they are held back by the negative attitudes of others and or a lack of opportunity to enable them to participate. We aim to create a society where people with disabilities have the same opportunities to pursue their dreams and make as meaningful a contribution to their commitments as everybody else.

“PHAB is a totally voluntary organisation based in Bradford which is wholly reliant upon raising all its own funds.

“We have a large group of children and young people both with and without disabilities and we provide a wide range of activities for them to access. The participants are transported to and from the club each week.

“We also provide supervision and support to the children and young people and offer a break from everyday life with a chance to mix with and make new friends.

“Our unpaid volunteers include those that work, professionally, with individual disabled children and thus understand their needs and are able to make informed decisions to best achieve positive outcomes for them.”

The charity has now started a crowdfunding page in the hope of raising £20,000 towards purchasing a new minibus and help with transport costs and putting on activities.

The page is running for eight weeks.

Anyone wishing to donate to the cause can do so by going to the crowdfunder page at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/new-club-minibus