A Northumberland truck parade that was a "huge hit" in December 2021 is back for the second year in a row on Friday December 9.
The Christmas Wagon run will see at least 30 trucks travel from Kielder to Hexham Mart, stopping in villages on the way decked out in festive lights. The parade will raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance and Santa's Little Helpers, a charitable organisation based in Bellingham aiming to help rural families who are struggling during the cost of living crisis.
Originally established to thank the timber truck drivers for their work during Covid alongside raising funds for the organisations above, this year's parade has been opened up to any wagon, and according to organiser Fiona Pattinson there'll be cattle wagons, tippers and vans alongside the timber trucks. Fiona, who also heads up Santa's Little Helpers said: "It was a huge hit last year, bigger than we expected it to be.
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"Nineteen wagons turned up and the streets were just full, the atmosphere was fantastic and we're hoping for the same this year. We've just about doubled how many wagons are coming this year and there are at least 30, potentially 40 coming."
Last year's parade raised around £5,000 with gifts of food, toys and cash to help families in the North Tyne who were struggling to pay for Christmas costs such as presents and dinner. And Santa's Little Helpers is supporting more families this year as the cost of living crisis has hit those in rural areas hard.
Fiona continued: "It's affecting families in the North Tyne quite badly and there does seem to be more people who are suffering this year, I've had more people approaching me this year asking how they could help families.
"The biggest expenditure for families at the moment is food bills and fuel with them being out here if they can drive. And if they can't drive, public transport isn't really cheap now either, and even then there aren't many buses in a day that run backwards and forwards."
Expanding further on the Santa's Little Helpers Just Giving page, Fiona wrote: "No parent should have to explain to a child why Santa hasn’t been so we’re stepping in to provide presents or a Christmas dinner to those families that need it most. All children deserve to have a Christmas to remember, including gifts and a hot meal, unfortunately some families just can’t afford this now with Covid hitting families so hard, the price rise in food, Universal Credit being cut and job losses, it has had a devastating effect."
The Christmas Wagon Run takes place on Friday December 9 and starts at 5.30pm in Kielder. If you can't make the truck parade but would like to donate to Santa's Little Helpers, visit the organisation's Just Giving page.
Route for the Christmas Wagon Run
5.30pm - Leaving Kielder
6pm - Bellingham
6.10pm - Wark
6.20pm - Humshaugh and Chollerford
6.25pm - Wall
6.30pm - Acomb
6.35pm - Hexham Mart (with food at the Mart bar)
Are you planning on going to the Christmas Wagon Run? Let us know!
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