A CHARITY which looks after seriously ill children and babies has taken delivery of a new van thanks to bingo players.

Zoe's Place Baby Hospice will be able to use the specially-adapted Sunshine Coach to take youngsters on trips without the cost of hiring a vehicle.

The van was donated by the Bingo Association, which has raised more than £1.3m in support of Variety.

The Hospice, based in Normanby, near Redcar, provides respite care for 35 babies and children, many of whom have highly complex genetic conditions and illnesses and require different levels of 24-hour support on a one to one basis.

The Northern Echo:

The charity's mascot Zoe Bear behind the wheel of the new minibus

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar and chair of the all party parliamentary group for Bingo, was on hand to present the new van to the charity.

She said: “Zoe’s Place is an amazing local charity who provide the most special gift of love, compassion, and excellent care for families in really heart-breaking circumstances.

"I know they work extremely hard to raise funds to continue their work and the bus will be a fantastic addition to the service they can offer the children and their families."

The Northern Echo:

Checking out the new minibus

Miles Baron, chief executive of the Bingo Association added: "Being able to enhance the lives of very young children at a hospice such as Zoe’s place has been so rewarding.”

And Frances Lang, chief executive at Variety, the Children’s Charity said: “The generosity of the Bingo Association, and the clubs across the country have directly touched the lives of many disadvantaged and disabled children around the UK. We are truly grateful for the Association’s continued support and delighted that the organisation has agreed to donate this Sunshine Coach to Zoe’s Place Hospice in Middlesbrough, in this our 70th year."