Charity founded in memory of Will, 14, appeals for funds to get its community bus on the road
Published by Andrew Diprose @dorsetbiznews on 19 February 2021
Lesley Paddy has already worked wonders.
Channelling the unimaginable – and overwhelming – grief from the death of her only son, Will, 14, into a charity established in his memory.
The boy she loved to call ‘Bubba’ and her ‘munchkin’.
Since its foundation in August 2019, #Willdoes has raised more than £90,000 for good causes in Dorset and the surrounding area.
It supports the mental and physical wellbeing of young people.
But now the charity is facing its greatest fundraising challenge – and it’s appealing directly to you, and your business, for help.
The #Willdoes Community Bus Project is to fund a double decker bus.
The vehicle will provide a safe space for young people to meet and access information and support.
Based in Swanage, the bus will travel across Dorset and be available to local organisations supporting young people.
#Willdoes has seeded £10,000 to get the project on the road.
It needs a further £40,000 to see it through to fruition.
The charity is already £8,000 into that figure, leaving £32,000 to raise in the next six to eight weeks.
The goal is to complete the project by May 31 this year.
The project couldn’t come at a more appropriate time.
Research by the National Children’s Bureau and University College London, published in November, revealed that one in six report severe mental health problems at the age of 17.
And YoungMinds, the UK charity which fights for children and young people’s mental health, says that an estimated five children in every classroom has a mental health problem.
A quarter of 17-year-old girls have self-harmed in the last year.
Lesley, 54, said: “Youth Services in Dorset have also been severely impacted by recent measures, relying heavily on volunteers to fill the gap.
“Without question the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people, in particular.
“We have the support of Swanage Town Council which has pledged to provide an electricity supply and parking space in a central location, near the town’s skate park.
“We hope to have access to public toilets and fixed lighting, provided by the council.
“The key thing to stress is that this community bus will be for all Dorset and available to organisations across the county.
“We’ve already had a brilliant response but I really hope that businesses, big and small, are able to dig deep and support this.”
Following the purchase of the bus for £10,000 the rest of money will be spent on:
A refit to the specific design requirements of #Willdoes including kitchen, private consulting area, seating area with tables downstairs, media installations and open plan upstairs for flexibility of use.
Installing air conditioning/heating; a 9kw generator and security doors.
Exterior and interior decoration.
Ensuring downstairs is fully DDA compliant.
Youth worker funding.
Will died in May, 2019.
His unresponsive body was discovered by Lesley in the bathroom of the family home at Harman’s Cross near Swanage.
An inquest later recorded a verdict of misadventure.
Brendan Allen, Assistant Dorset Coroner, described Will’s death as “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Charitable status for #Willdoes was granted in December 2019.
Its focus is to promote any charitable purpose, including the promotion of education, physical health, mental health and social inclusion.
#Willdoes also contributes financially to charitable projects for the benefit of young people in Dorset and the surrounding areas.
A core value is to introduce young people to sports and other activities to help them connect and engage socially, rather than retreat to more insular gaming and social media pastime.
The Trustees are supported by an extensive committee base while the charity’s ambassadors are:
William Fox-Pitt MBE (world and Olympic equestrian eventing champion).
Sandra Redknapp
Holly Woodhead (international equestrian eventer).
Jason Fox (ex-UK Special Forces, better known as Foxy, instructor on the TV show, SAS: Who Dares Wins).
Jamie Nicholls (Team GB Olympic snowboarder).
Grants to date from #Willdoes total £35,000.
They include Purbeck Youth and Community Foundation for various initiatives; Ocean Youth Trust which helps troubled young people with sailing programmes; Mosaic helping young people coping with bereavement as well as a number of smaller pledges which meet the funding objectives of #Willdoes.
To find out more about the #Willdoes Community Bus Project or to help or donate please click here.