Hello and welcome to our Christmas 2003 newsletter,

It’s hard to believe that it’s December already – where has 2003 gone?

And what a year it has been for Pyramids. 2003 will be remember as the year that the Playbus had its first combined Ofsted and Social Services inspection (in July), was visited by 45 Japanese students (to Twaite in September) and was involved in an accident which kept us off the road for 2 weeks in October.

There were new jobs for Gill (who said goodbye to the Playbus in August after nearly 13 years), Sara (who became Playleader in September) and for Jane (our new Playworker). Baby boys for Sue Stanislawski and committee members Katie Gunn, and Nikki Owers

All this plus our annual fundraising events (the Easter Bonnet Parade, Stonham Aspal Car Boot and the Hinderclay Firework party to name just a few), another very successful summer playscheme and a whole host of birthday parties.

Christmas goodies on board the Playbus

If, like me, you are not yet ready for Christmas let Pyramids help. We’ve got two styles of our special Christmas cards on sale on the Playbus. Our Crafty Ideas, Bedingfield Recipe books, Playbus T-shirts, sweatshirts and Shopping bags also make great Christmas presents. And, there is still time to purchase goods from the Webb Ivory fundraising catalogues – if you have not yet seen a copy please ask Sara or Jane.

If you are shopping at Amazon.com or the Co-op this Christmas don’t forget the Playbus. Just by following the link to Amazon from our website (www.pyramidsplaybus.org.uk) or by quoting our ‘divi’ number, when shopping at the Co-op, will earn us valuable commission on your purchases.

Toy Library Special Offers

From now until Easter, you can hire all the large ride-on toys for just £1 per month. To book please speak to Sara or Jane.

Fundraising

Special thanks go to the Playbus users at Stonham Aspal for their very successful car boot sale and to everyone who helped with the Bonfire Party at Hinderclay.

Free at Three

From January 2004, all children in Suffolk, are entitled to FREE part-time early years education from the term after they are three. This means that they can have up to five free 2½ hour sessions per week. These can be divided between different providers as long as each is registered to accept this funding.

The Playbus is one such provider and by bringing your grant to us we will guarantee a place for your child at the session/s of your choice during term-time. Your child will also get an extra half an hour of activities linked to the Early Learning Goals and we have made some special arrangements for siblings who also wish to attend the same Playbus session as children using their grant.

So, if you child will be 3 on or before 31st December and you would like to use their free session/s on the Playbus speak to Sara or Jane today and they will give you a form to complete.

We need your help in 2004

Each term we say goodbye to some of our older children as they go on to school. In order to survive this natural cycle, Pyramids needs to constantly be welcoming new families abroad the Playbus.

We hold regular route review meetings where we consider carefully the attendance at each stop and try and way up the arguments for staying with a stop with dwindling numbers and starting up at one of the many villages in Mid Suffolk, which would like us to visit them.

This term several stops have been quieter than usual and virtually all stops could do with a couple more regular users. It you want the Playbus to keep visiting your village then please don’t keep the Playbus to yourself – tells your friends, new mums and newcomers to your area about the bus – even better still bring them along next time we visit you.

Pyramids also need you to continue supporting our fundraising events both those arrange through the Committee and the local fundraiser, which we ask each village to hold each year. You can also help by using the toy library, buying art material from our Craft Shop and making purchases from the book club catalogues aboard the bus.

Tachograph/Driver’s Hours

A big thank you to all the Playbus users who wrote letters to their MPs/EMPs and/or signed our petition objecting to European plans to force us and other groups, who rely on community buses, to follow new EC Drivers’ Hours and Tachograph rules. I have sent the petition to Francois Lamoureux, the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport in Brussels. Although it is still early days, Mr Lamoureux has indicated that, following many similar letters from the UK, the Commission is likely take a more flexible approach to specialised vehicles in the final version of their new regulation. We will keep you posted.

Health and Safety

I know it can be difficult with excited small children but please register with Sara/Jane as soon as you board the Playbus. For health and safety reasons we must know exactly who is onboard and how many children we have. Similarly, unattended handbags left on the seats are a risk as their contents may be a danger to small children. Leave them in your car if possible, or in the driver’s cab or upstairs in the kitchen.

Finally, on behalf of Sara, Jane and all the Pyramids Committee, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and we look forward to seeing you back on board the Playbus in 2004.

Dates for your Diary:

Friday 19th December Last day of term

Tuesday 6th January Playbus back on the road for the Spring term.

Monday 16th - Friday 20th February Half term holiday
Friday 2nd April Last day of Spring term

Newsletter DECEMBER 2003 - Registered Charity No. 283401 - www.pyramidsplaybus.org.uk