Flamingo Amusements, on Hastings seafront in the UK, has hosted a VIP fun day with local families who have been granted a wish by children’s charity, Rays of Sunshine.

BACTA

The event at the arcade, part of the Luxury Leisure Talarius group, was in celebration of the national fundraising scheme Tickets2Wishes, which is run by Bacta, the UK’s trade association for the amusement industry. Local MP for Hastings and Rye, Amber Rudd, also attended.

As part of the event, families who have been supported by Rays of Sunshine enjoyed a day out at Flamingo Amusements. A cheque was also presented to the charity as part of the Tickets2Wishes scheme, from funds raised by all Luxury Leisure Talarius seaside businesses across the country in 2019. Tickets2Wishes enables customers visiting many locations around the country to donate any leftover redemption tickets to Rays of Sunshine, which are then used to brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK by granting wishes and providing ongoing support within hospitals.

Four-year-old Khodi and 15-year-old Samuel both attended on Saturday with their families. Rays of Sunshine recently granted Khodi’s wish to go to Disneyland Paris, while Samuel is set to visit Disneyland Florida later this year. Bacta is a long-term charitable supporter of Rays of Sunshine and members have to date raised £500,000 through its charitable trust and granted the wishes of 21 seriously ill children across the UK with the scheme.

“It was a real pleasure to be given the opportunity to present a cheque for £10,000 at Flamingo Amusements’ fun day,” said Amber Rudd. “It’s fantastic to know that these funds will help to grant the wishes of children with terminal or life-limiting conditions in their Tickets2Wishes project.”

Jane Sharpe, CEO of Rays of Sunshine, said: “A huge thanks to Flamingo Amusements for hosting such a fun-filled day for Samuel, Khodi and their families this weekend. Days out like these give our families the chance to create special memories and spend quality time together. We are so grateful to the Bacta charitable trust and its members for supporting the Tickets2Wishes fundraising scheme. Thank you to all of the customers who have donated their tickets to grant magical wishes.”

James Miller, president of Bacta, said: "Tickets2Wishes is a fantastic charity initiative that helps Bacta members and their customers from around the nation join together and support the great work of Rays of Sunshine. Bacta members provide fun and entertainment to millions of friends and families each year and by donating through the Tickets2Wishes scheme we can all grant some fun and amazing memories to deserving Rays of Sunshine families across the country.”

Kevin Dixon, area manager for Luxury Leisure Talarius, said: “We are excited to host this VIP day in Hastings and plan a special day for these two families. We collect tickets from our six seaside arcades across the country and this year’s donation figure looks to be in excess of the £5,000 we raised last year.