PEOPLE living in the Downend area have been treated to visits from three father Christmas floats during the festive season.
Downend Round Table has been running its Santa Sleigh for 17 years, raising more than £35,000 for community causes in that time.
Between November 30 and December 23 the sleigh was making 12 outings, including Mangotsfield, Bromley Heath, Downend, Emersons Green and Lyde Green, plus visits to Oldland Common and to Bristol city centre, for a parade organised to support the Bristol Lord Mayor’s Children’s Appeal.
One trip around Bromley Heath had to be cancelled due to stormy weather but as the Voice went to print, more than £2,000 had already been raised from donations this year.
Paul Brown, from Downend Round Table, said: “Our priority has been to ‘give back’ to the local community, who have supported our fireworks displays for over 50 years.
“The raising of further funds is a significant bonus, as it allows us to help other groups and individuals locally.”
The float made £1,000 during the four-hour Bristol parade from Whiteladies Road to Cabot Circus on December 11.
A spokesperson for Lord Mayor Henry Michallat, who rode on the sleigh for part of the journey, said: “He thoroughly enjoyed the route and seeing so many happy faces, and would also like to thank Downend Round Table for their continued support for the last ten-plus years providing the sleigh and manpower from their volunteers.”
The area received more visits from Father Christmas courtesy of the Original Santa Float, a team of volunteers with a Somerset carnival-style float raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital’s Guild of Friends and Time is Precious, a charity that aims to make children with cancer and their families more comfortable in hospital or at home.
They visited Mangotsfield, Staple Hill and Downend on December 12, where hundreds of families greeted them, in Lyde Green and Emersons Green on December 13 and Pucklechurch on December 17.
The Float Group, raising money for Southmead Hospital Charity and St Peter’s Hospice, visited Lyde green and Emersons Green on November 29 and Downend and Bromley Heath on December 7, with a visit to Staple Hill and Fishponds on the 19th.
More details of the floats and online donations can be found via their Facebook pages.