The
Wonderbus is an organisation set up by magician and comedian
Paul Zenon, with the intention of providing older people with a
bit of fun and companionship. Getting the show on the road for older
folks, The Wonderbus takes people from homes and sheltered housing
on trips to see a range of events and entertainments, giving them
a slap-up meal and a good old-fashioned day out to remember along
the way.

How it all began
The
idea for The Wonderbus came about when Paul bumped
into a lifelong family friend, Dot Crawshaw, at his Gran's funeral
several years ago. They reminisced about the days when Dot used
to arrange trips for the local factory workers' kids to go to see
pantomimes in Bradford and Manchester. Paul was lucky enough to
be one of those treated to several of these outings, a first taste
of the 'bright lights' which resulted in him going on to carve out
a lifelong career as a performer. After giving Dot a lift back to
the sheltered housing where she now lived, it occurred to Paul that
it might be a nice gesture to return the favour that she had done
for him and so many other kids some thirty-odd years previously
and so, after several lengthy pub conversations with friends back
home, the idea for The Wonderbus was born.
On the back of Paul Zenon's Grey Matter,
a fund-raising show at the London Comedy Store, the maiden voyage
was arranged – a trip to see Aladdin at Bradford Alhambra
Theatre – the same show in the same venue that Dot and Paul
had been to see all those years back. After a sherry send-off and
an onboard quiz, they stopped off for dinner and drinks at a posh
restaurant before the main event: the panto. The star of the show,
comedian Billy Pearce, boarded the bus afterwards to sign programmes
before waving them off for a singsong on the way home.
Since then The Wonderbus has gone from strength
to strength, organising numerous outings to all kinds of events.
It receives no outside financial assistance – all funds are
raised by volunteers (and donation), with a series of high-profile
fund-raising events produced over the past few years, including
a theatre tour with Paul and fellow comedians Harry Hill and Lee
Mack, and a sell-out show at the famous London Palladium, hosted
by Paul and featuring comedians Dara O'Briain, Sean Lock, Lee Mack,
Dave Spikey, and an all-star cast.

The Wonderbus is a Registered Charity run by volunteers
and with no hidden administration costs, so that all funds raised
can be used directly and tangibly - it does exactly what it says
on the bodywork.

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