Santa visits raise more than £900 for local charities

SANTA and his helpers have raised more than £900 for the Rotary Club of Wortley in the run up to Christmas at the Fox Valley festive grotto.

The special grotto was created in the unit next to Ponti’s Italian Kitchen for Santa to visit and meet local children over three weekends through December.

All visiting children received a special Christmas gift as well as a traditional apple or an orange from Santa – helping to raise funds for local good causes through The Rotary Club of Wortley.

The Club is a local charitable group who take part in lots of fundraising activities including visits from Father Christmas.

The Christmas gifts were kindly sponsored by Sandersons Department store which has hosted the Fox Valley Santa in previous years – a total of £908.65 was raised this year.

Events Manager at Fox Valley Kayleigh Marron said:

We would like to say a huge thank you to The Rotary Club of Wortley for helping us organise the visits from Santa to our Fox Valley grotto."

We would also like to thank all the families who came along to see Santa and help us raise this fantastic amount for the Rotary Club to support their good causes. Everyone here at Fox Valley takes a great deal of pride in giving back to the community around us.”

This year’s funds raised at Santa’s Grotto will help to support the Stocksbridge Park Steels Football Club mobile defibrillator fund – enabling them to take the life-saving unit to away matches as well as having it on hand during home games.

Trevor Fletcher, of the Rotary Club of Wortley, said:

It has been great to work with the team at Fox Valley again this year and we’d like to thank everyone involved in raising this fantastic amount of money.”

The Rotary Club also organises Santa visiting Fox Valley for the annual Christmas lights switch on.