Haverhill Santa raises thousands of pounds for REACH Community Projects and the Joshua Tarrant Trust
‘Overwhelming’ public generosity has seen the new Haverhill Santa Sleigh raise more than £4,500 for two town charities.
Organised by the Haverhill Show and the Disco Kitchen, with the support of volunteers, the sleigh toured the town’s streets in the build up to Christmas and in doing so raised £4,525.90 to be shared between REACH Community Projects and the Joshua Tarrant Trust.
Joe Mason, chair of the Haverhill Show said:”It’s great that we were able to raise such a good amount for the two charities.
“We were overwhelmed by the generosity shown by the community and we were all thrilled by the positive response we got from taking the sleigh around the different parts of town.
Disco Kitchen founder Andy Palazon added: “The project far exceeded any expectations that I had.
“Bringing happiness to the community was my aim, and to be able to raise well over £2,000 for each local charity is the icing on the cake.
“I hope to be a part of this journey for many years to come.”
Treasurer and volunteer organiser, Kelly Bennett said: “Seeing all the volunteers bringing the Christmas magic every night and all the wonderment on so many little faces was amazing and makes me so proud to be part of such a wonderful community.”
The new sleigh, built by Drive Green Vehicle Services with the support of other local businesses will now be safely stored in preparation for next year’s fund-raising efforts.
Joe reflected: “Bringing back the Santa Sleigh was a significant achievement with many obstacles that had to be overcome.
“When we first discussed this early in 2022, we had no sleigh and a blank piece of paper.
“This project was entirely funded by donations and it just would not have been possible without the kind support of so many businesses who contributed, as well as the enthusiastic response from volunteers and the rest of the community.
"We would all like to thank everyone who contributed to making this project so successful.”
