A NEWPORT charity is now able to take local people on outings thanks to the fundraising efforts of Gocompare.com which has bought a mini-bus for £15,000.

Last November, Duffryn Community Link trustee Dawn Elliot accepted a cheque on behalf of the organisation from Gocompare.com.

Now the group have finally purchased the mini-bus and have started taking local people outside of the boundaries of the community.

Learning coordinator, Jane Lewis, at Duffryn Community Link, said: “We always wanted a mini-bus but were never able to afford one.

“We are so grateful to Gocompare as having the mini-bus is amazing as it means we can do so much more and take people outside of the community.”

One such group who use the mini-bus have a keen interest in walking and are now able to enjoy their hobby further afield.

The cash was raised by staff at Gocompare.com holding several fundraising events from a car wash to a bake-off, raising £4,000.

But its main fundraiser was an It’s a Knockout challenge at Tredegar House last September.

Seventeen teams from businesses in Newport and the surrounding area took part in the challenge, including Acorn Recruitment, Tata Steel, ONS, The Dragonfly pub along with the National Trust and Gocompare – which entered two teams.

Gocompare chief executive, Jon Morrell, said: “We are thrilled that we have been able to raise enough money to purchase a minibus to ensure DCL’s work continues to go from strength to strength.

“When we heard about the good work they do we were compelled to support them and would like to thank everyone that helped Gocompare.com reach the fundraising target.”