Santa Run raises £75,000 for children’s hospices People in North Devon were among an army of fun runners raising cheer in their festive gear for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) in mid December. More than 1,100 people across the South West took part in the charity’s Santas on the Run Goes Freestyle virtual event – helping to raise more than £75,000 to support the region’s three children’s hospices, including Little Bridge House in Fremington, near Barnstaple. The charity’s annual Santas on the Run events, became ‘virtual’ this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. People were asked to ‘go freestyle’ and choose their own route, activity, distance and festive fancy dress and raise as much as they could. CHSW fundraiser Kiley Pearce said, “We were overwhelmed with the number of people who took part in this event and it was fantastic to see them all posting their photos on social media showing how they had made the event their own.” “We had everything from Santas playing tennis, to a running nativity scene; people really got creative and have raised an incredible amount of money at the same time.” Santas, elves and whole host of festive characters were spotted all over North Devon, including in South Molton, Arlington Court, Barnstaple, Westward Ho!, Woolacombe and Bideford. Filleigh Primary School pupils were among a number of schools also taking part. The money raised by the event will help Children’s Hospice South West to continue providing vital care and support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families. The charity has adapted its care model during the Coronavirus pandemic to provide hospice, home and virtual care, acknowledging the need to stay in touch with families and support them in new ways through these uncertain times. CHSW is the only children’s hospice in the South West. It costs around £11 million to run its three sites each year and the charity relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions Their services are free for families. To find out more about their work, visit; chsw.org.uk
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