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.