Santa’s Grotto in Northampton town centre raises £900 for charity

A grotto that saw families flock to Northampton town centre to see Santa this Christmas has helped raise almost £900 for charity.

The attraction in Grosvenor Shopping Northampton was a huge hit over the festive season, with hundreds of families popping in for their own private appointment with Father Christmas himself.

Families were asked for a donation of £1 and the money raised has now been handed to Northants Food Reach who will use the cash to help fund their programme of activities to reduce food poverty and food waste in Northampton town centre.

Mark Mullen, operations manager of Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), which staged the grotto, said: “We loved seeing so many families visiting the town centre to see Santa in our grotto. Our team has immensely enjoyed meeting all of the families and hopes that we were able to provide some magical memories.”

The grotto formed part of a suite of seasonal activities staged in the town centre to mark the Christmas period.

Mark added: “This Christmas, Northampton really was turned into a winter wonderland, with so many things going on for all the family. The grotto was a massive success and I’m delighted hundreds of families were able to see Santa while helping to raise funds for such a brilliant cause.”

Food poverty activist Miranda Wixon, who volunteers for Northants Food Reach, said: "We are incredibly grateful for this wonderful donation and we would like to thank all those families who donated as part of their visit to see Father Christmas. This money will make a huge difference."