Santa’s grand Christmas

Date: 5 January 2007

Appearances by Santa Claus at a Fleet garden centre in the month before Christmas raised £1,000 for charity.

Santa, also known as Hart Council Chairman, Brian Blewett; his deputy, Cllr Sean Haffey; friends and supporters of local disability charity, Parity, took it in turns over five weeks before Christmas to appear at Redfields Garden Centre dressed as Santa Claus. They listened to children’s Christmas wishes as garden centre staff collected donations from Santa’s visitors.

Commenting afterward his final session in the red costume and long white beard, Cllr Blewett said:

“This is a very encouraging amount of money for my charity fund and shows that the Christmas spirit was alive and well in Hart this December. I’d like to thank all those people who brought their children to the Grotto, Redfields and my fellow Santas – all of whom worked very hard for this tremendous achievement.”

Editor’s notes

Cllr Blewett has chosen five disability charities for whom to raise money during his year-long term as Hart District Council chairman: Parity for Disability; DASH; MENCAP; Blackwater Mobility Trust; and Oak Farm Leisure Activity Club.  

Redfields Garden Centre’s address is Ewshot Lane, Fleet, Hants.