The CEO of Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity Zillah Bingley tried her hand at being an open top bus tour guide with The Original Tour as part of her Challenge 50 birthday celebrations to raise vital funds for families caring for a seriously ill child.
On 3 September, Zillah Bingley provided an exclusive open bus tour of London starting in Northumberland Avenue and including iconic sights such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Lambeth Palace and the London Eye.
Several families who are supported by Rainbow Trust boarded the double-decker bus for the 45-minute tour, along with corporate sponsors and other supporters, which had been made possible thanks to a partnership between The Original Tour and Rainbow Trust.
Build-A-Bear® donated 50 teddies as a surprise treat for the children to enjoy en-route in honour of National Teddy Bear Day, which is celebrated on 9 September.
Zillah said, “I am extremely grateful to our corporate sponsor The Original Tour for lending Rainbow Trust the tour bus and for taking the time to provide me with some essential tour guide training beforehand.
“Despite being a born and bred Londoner, it was a completely new experience for me and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only did it allow me to fulfil one of my ‘50 Challenges’ to mark my birthday year but I was also able to tell people about the importance of the work we do at Rainbow Trust. I would also like to thank Build-A-Bear for donating their lovely teddies, which the children loved.”
Jane Lewis, MD of The Original Tour said, “The Original Tour was delighted to be able to help Zillah complete one of her ’50 challenges’ and we’re so glad she enjoyed the experience! The Original Tour has always focussed on ensuring children as well as adults have a fun & entertaining time on-board our buses so we’re delighted that we can support the valuable work that Rainbow Trust does helping families who have children with life-threatening illnesses.”
