Santa’s off on a charity mission

BUSY Santa Claus is set to spread Christmas cheer and raise charity cash by touring the streets.

He’s teamed up with his friends at the Rotary Club of Crompton and Royton to stage a week long grotto.

It will take in High Crompton, Shaw, Heyside, and Royton from Monday, December 1 to Friday, December 5 and youngsters will hear it coming with the usual Christmas music.

Father Christmas will also be present in Shaw’s Asda car park on Saturday, December 6 from 10am to 4pm.

The Rotary Club will be making a collection for the benefit of the local community.

Event organiser Derek Cottrell said: “We have toured the streets with Father Christmas for many years and it’s always an exciting time.

“The young children love it and quite often there is a queue to see the old chap. The lists the children give him seem to get longer and more imaginative every year. One parent who brought her child to meet Father Christmas last year told us that when she was small she always looked forward to our visit. She went on to thank us for keeping the event running.

“So if you live in Crompton and Royton and hear the sound of Christmas Music and see flashing lights, it’ll be Father Christmas and the Rotary Club bringing Christmas to the streets and looking for a little help.”

Last year the public were so generous, they collected over ten tons of cans that presented a massive problem of distribution.

Although organisers managed to help the elderly and needy, hospices, refuges for the homeless and Salvation Army they were still left with far more cans than they could cope with.

So this time they will be rattling collection tins for a donation and hoping to receive the same generous support.

If successful it will enable them to help a wider section of the community than in the past.

The Rotary Club is also grateful to Crompton House School Sixth Form is lending its help.