After 14 years of fund-raising, the Gosport Opportunity Group has finally raised enough cash to replace its run-down vehicle.

Through generous donations, cake stalls, raffles, tombolas and sponsored walks, the group accumulated £8,500.

And it received a further £24,000 from a developer to buy the 14-seater minibus.

The bus will ferry disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the borough to pre-school and play schemes at the group's headquarters in Phoenix Way, Gosport.

It is a lifeline as the group's old minibus was on its last legs.

Gosport Opportunity Group manager Jenny Hardman said: 'It's marvellous. We are so delighted.

'This will help in all sorts of ways. We will be able to collect children and bring them here.

'It will also enable us to take them on trips during the summer holidays.'

Group treasurer Carol Botterill added: 'We are so grateful to all those people and groups who donated.

'It has been a long time and there has been a lot of effort made to raise the money.

'Because you need to raise so much, we had to start fund-raising 14 years ago.'

Set up 33 years ago, Gosport Opportunity Group is a pre-school playscheme catering for children under 12 who do not attend mainstream schools and are from disadvantaged families.

Most of the children have difficulties including Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning and behavioural problems, spina bifida and cerebral palsy.

The vehicle will allow the group to continue transporting the 53 students every day, and go on outings that would have otherwise been impossible.

To help buy the minibus, the group approached the Variety Club, a national organisation which helps sick and disadvantaged children.

It then handed over cash donated by developer Crest Nicholson.

BBC sports commentator Jonathan Pearce, a supporter of the Variety Club, was on hand to present the minibus. He said: 'This new coach will have a real impact on the lives of the children which will involve more pupils in school projects and increase community opportunities and activities.'

ben.glass@thenews.co.uk