Rays of Sunshine was proud to team up with Bandai Namco yet again to help bring joy to the seriously ill children and families it supports, this time with a VIP bowling experience at Namco Fun Scape in Norwich.

More than 40 children and family members were invited to the bowling alley and arcade, where they were given exclusive use of the lanes. 

Many of the children were able to bowl for the first time ever, or at least for the first time since their diagnosis – and there were even a handful of strikes on the night! 

One parent said after the event: “[It was brilliant] to get to go out in a safe environment and do activities we wouldn’t always get to do.” 

As well as bowling fun, the Namco Fun Scape team provided a delicious spread of food, and children were given special Pac Man plushies at the end of the event too. 

Another parent said: “Getting the gift at the end was a surprise and something [my child] can now look at and remember the event by.”

The Rays of Sunshine Wish Community is a programme of free events designed to bring families with similar lived experiences together for lots of fun, to help reduce feelings of isolation. Every child who is granted a wish is eligible to be a member. 

The event marked the first time Rays of Sunshine was able to bring a Wish Community event to East Anglia. Families were delighted to be able to have so much fun so close to home, with one mum saying she saw her son “laughing carefree” throughout the event. 

Nicola Aquila, Major Gifts and Partnerships Lead at Rays of Sunshine, says: “Bandai Namco have been incredibly loyal supporters of Rays of Sunshine for some time, and this event was just the latest way they have shown their commitment to helping us bring sunshine to the lives of seriously ill children. 

“We are so grateful to everyone who helped make the event in Norwich such a success.” 

If you’d like to work with Rays of Sunshine in 2025 , contact:

nicola@raysofsunshine.org.uk