Santa Claus comes to town for 50th anniversary of Yaxley fire fighters’ annual charity Christmas rides

Christmas is unofficially underway in the village of Yaxley with the return of Yaxley Fire Station’s annual charity Santa rides.

Fire fighters lead Santa through Yaxley last night (December 5) for the first time this year – which marked the 50th anniversary of the festive event.

The ride raises money for The Firefighters Charity, and last year’s ride raised around £3,300 for the cause.

“I remember seeing the ride as a kid – it really did mark the start of Christmas here,” fire fighter and organiser of this year’s event Josh Tandy, said.

"When I started here on call, I really wanted to get involved.

"It really does get everyone’s spirit lifted. I remember during Covid, in 2020, when no-one was able to see each other because of the restrictions. It really did put a smile on people’s faces.

"The highlight of doing it is seeing the children’s faces. We get some of the younger children who come out and give Santa their list, and we get to take a few photos.

“It is such an important charity for us. It helps with all sorts of things – it can help with mental health, physio for any injuries – a range of things.

"On the first Santa Ride, around £100 was raised, which was a lot of money then. Over the past few years, we have raised at least £2,500 each time.”