December's Ashby Santa Fun Run and Walk raised an incredible £10,800 for charity.

Following the hugely successful event, which saw 892 Santas running, trotting, walking or wheeling their way around a snowy course around the Bath Grounds, the Rotary Club has presented this year's chosen charities with cheques from the proceeds.

It was another bumper year, supported by entrants, donations received and the generous support of many local businesses.

After the event's totals were confirmed, and sponsorship collected from both businesses and individuals, the Rotary Club held a cheque presentation evening last Tuesday, inviting the charities, sponsors and helpers from the event to the big reveal.

Around 50 guests came along to the evening and saw Event Director Kevin Sanders give a run down of the history of the event, now heading in to its 10th year and reflected on the 'phenomenal' amount raised.

It was also a chance to reflect on some of the great charities that have been supported over the years.

The Ashby Santa Fun run attracted families and runners in fancy dress. Event photos: Ashby Nub News

Kevin also referred to the fact that this event was originally created as a community Christmas event for the people of Ashby and surrounding areas rather than a fundraising exercise.

But the popularity and success of it has seen the Ashby Santa Fun Run and Walk raise and give away over £90,000 to a variety of charities over the nine years since it started.

In line with previous years, the Santa Fun Run committee continued their approach of broadly supporting three types of charities, all locally based.

A charity aimed at supporting youngsters, a charity aimed at supporting families and a charity aimed at supporting end of life.

The chosen three this year were me&dee, Home-Start North West Leicestershire and Bright Hope (formally Hospice Hope).

A number of representatives of all three charities attended with cheques being presented to each charities main representative, Maria Hanson MBE (me&dee), Pam Moretta (Home-Start) and Stewart Shepherd (Bright Hope).

They were each presented with cheques for £2,900 and each spoke about the difference this money would make to their charities.

Pam expainled the work that Home-Start is doing and that the money would be used to help mums who have been receiving support in the Post Natal Illness support group.

Maria spoke about the great work me&dee is doing with a number of children, and all with no grants received. The money will go a long way to assisting the work that the charity does.

This includes supporting the purchase of Hope teddy bear elephants, which are a great source of comfort to families who are split up from their children due to having hospital stays and enable families to record messages within the Hope elephant to provide comfort to children when they are apart.

Stewart described the work going on with Bright Hope, which is about to open its brand new facility in Swannington, Bright Hope House, which will provide day care, counselling and wellbeing services to people with life limiting illness.

The money will be used to purchase computer hardware and software for the new facility, including a new secure signing in and entry system which will be named after Ashby Castle Rotary Club in recognition to the support provided over a number of years.

The remaining monies raised from the event will be used to support other Rotary projects and charities both locally and further afield throughout the year.

Dale Warren from the Ashby Santa Fun Run organising committee said: "We've had another fantastic event, and again all of us are astounded at the support we continue to receive from people who take part year after year - and the businesses who sponsor us to help raise these amazing amounts of money, many of whom have supported the event for many years.

"The numbers we see enter each year are amazing and we love being a firm fixture in the kick-off of Christmas in Ashby alongside the Ashby Christmas Fair.

"The charities who we were able to support barely left a dry eye in the room as they described the amazing work that they do, and we are so pleased as a committee to be able to help in providing some additional funding for this amazing and heartwarming work to continue.

"We can't wait to start thinking about our 10th event in 2024 and we'll be pulling out all the stops to break through the £100,000 mark for money raised by this event!"

Whilst organising of the 2024 Ashby Santa Fun Run and Walk will commence later in the year, if you are a business or organisation that would like to find out more about getting involved in supporting or sponsoring the 10th event, you can get in touch with the Event Director Kevin Sanders via email at [email protected].