In order to make donations we must first collect money by fund raising.  Our major fund raising activity is in December when we take our Santa float around the streets of Abingdon in order to bring Santa to the children and collect donations.  We also run a Santa Grotto at Frost’s Garden Centre at Millets Farm but our Christmas

activities start around the third week of November when the Christmas lights are switched on in Abingdon.  There is a procession through the town and our Santa float is the highlight.  The shops stay open late and the children queue up to meet Santa on his sleigh.  The donations that we receive start our seasonal fundraising.  We also have a stall selling teas and coffee and mince pies.  We have established a tradition here and the people of Abingdon turn out in large numbers to see us.

The first Wednesday of December sees the start of our evening activities.  For ten evenings spread over two weeks we get out our Santa sleigh to take Santa around the housing estates of Abingdon to meet the children.  We publish our itinerary in advance and the people are waiting for us.

One weekend we collected outside Waitrose with Santa greeting the children as they shopped.  Next Christmas we will be outside Tesco, Abingdon on Sunday 13th December.

Abingdon Lions Club wishes to thank the people of Abingdon and the surrounding area for their support and their generosity.  At Christmas 2008 on all our activities we collected over £7,500.

We then start running the Santa grotto at Frost’s Garden Centre every Saturday and Sunday for 4 or 5 weeks.  We charge £3 per child and every child gets to chat with Santa and receive a bag of goodies.

On the first day Santa arrives in style.  He most recently turned up in a genuine American Stage Coach with his helpers.  In previous years he has arrived in a limousine and once he even came by helicopter!  What will he do next Christmas?

Abingdon Lions Club provides the opportunity for local groups (for example a school PTA) to raise funds for their organisation by assisting us in our evening collections.  If you would like to participate, please email the Fund Raising Chairman whose email address can be found on the Officers page.  Abingdon Lions Club Charitable Trust is a registered charity (no. 1055471).