A Leeds man named Yorkshire's real-life Santa has raised £15,000 selling wooden Christmas trees and has used the money to buy presents for vulnerable children. Reese Fletcher, a landscape gardener from Kippax, crafted and sold 300 wooden Christmas trees for £10 each.
Reese raised £10,000 through his festive fundraiser last year, but this year he wanted to go the extra mile with the cost of living crisis hitting families across the city. Reese set out to raise £50,000 this year and he said the response from people is incredible.
He has so far raised £21,670 spending just under £15,000 on toys,£3,500 on vouchers and the rest will go to help Andy's Man Club, a men's mental health charity.
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Reese told LeedsLive: "The response has been mega there's been people coming from all over the country again!
"It's a great feeling knowing that there's gonna be a lot of kids that normally go without or very little, have a good Christmas this year"
Reese and his friends went to Smyths toy store to load up multiple trolleys with piles and piles of presents. Reese just wanted to get a good range of toys that can be distributed to the children and families that need them.
He said: "We went to Smyths and just went mad!
"No specific toys just a good age range and we also bought a lot of vouchers as well which will be distributed through the ladies I've worked alongside from Brigshaw high school and the other half went to the old quarry playground!
"We just have Andys Man Club to help and maybe a few others if we can and raise some good money tonight."
As a final push before Christmas, Reese will be selling the remainder of the trees, in a bid to raise even more money to help families and charities in the area. He gave out gifts last year to friends and family and said it was heartbreaking at times but wanted to stress that people are not alone.
"I had to give out a few gifts personally to family's last year and I had no words for what I saw.
"Don't struggle alone, reach out to somebody and don't be silent.
"There is more than just me who is out there to get help from and they are willing to help you, hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, see you all in 2023 bigger and better," Reese added.
On his Just Giving page, the 31-year-old dad wrote: "We're raising £50,000 to help buy Christmas presents for less fortunate children and give them a Christmas they may have never had." To donate to his Just Giving page, click here.
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