The Ashby Santa Family Fun Workout raised £3,000 for local charities says the Ashby Castle Rotary Club.

Over the last five years, the Ashby Santa Fun Run & Walk has become a Christmas fixture in the calendar of residents in and around the town, with the event raising over £40,000 in this time - but it was yet another victim of the global Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Despite this, Ashby Castle Rotary Club - who organise the event which normally attracts over 1,400 Santas -decided to try and raise a bit of Christmas cheer while raising funds for local charities.

And, for this year only, it turned the event in to the Ashby Santa Family Fun Workout.

The event was based on the idea of a Christmas themed Joe Wicks-style fun workout which was broadcast on YouTube at 11am on Sunday, December 20.

No entrance fee was charged to take part in the event but the Rotary Club asked for donations if people were able to in support of the Rotary Club's chosen main charity this year, Ashby Foodbank.

Due to the generosity of local corporate sponsors, individuals donations and money raised by Richard and Ange Bebbington's Santa Half marathon, the club raised a fantastic £2,400.

The remaining monies raised are being donated to other charities supported by Rotary.

Ashby Castle Rotary Club President and Santa Fun Run Race Director, Kevin Sanders, paid a visit to Ashby Foodbank to present Catherine Booton with the cheque.

Catherine said: "This generous donation will support the foodbank in providing over 20 families a week with meals.

"The work of the foodbank is vital, often temporarily supporting families suffering hardship through loss of employment - currently high due to the impact of Covid - or other family difficulties".

Ashby Castle Rotary Club is proud to support this local charity, having also donated £1,500 earlier in the year, particularly at a time when the work of foodbanks is critical.

The event could not have been as successful as it was not for the amazing support of local businesses who supported the event with sponsorship and the generosity of those who took part.

A special thanks also go to those who helped with the logistics to make it possible – Bluestone Fitness, Radar Media Services and Maria Sharp Fitness.

If you missed the event then the video remains live on YouTube and this can be found by searching "Ashby Santa Family Fun Run" on the YouTube website/app.

Interested in finding out more about Rotary? If you would like to come along to the Rotary Club of Ashby de la Zouch Castle please contact our secretary Chris Knight at [email protected] or visit [L]https://www.rotarygbi.org/[L]www.ribi.org[.L]Rotary GB & Ireland[.L].