Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray Belvoir's Santa's sleigh visits raise a record amount

The money will be spent on helping youth projects, the homeless, organisations and charities.

Rotarian Eric Sylt said: “Once again the people of Melton have contributed magnificently to the annual Christmas charity collection organised by Santa and the Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray Belvoir.

“In addition to all those people who gave Santa such a tremendous reception throughout the collection period, the Melton Belvoir Rotary Club would like to thank most sincerely the managers of the Tesco, Lidl and Sainsbury’s superstores for inviting Santa on to their premises. As is the tradition Santa was accompanied by many of his elves not only from the Rotary club and Inner Wheel but also from Round Table and the Guides.”

The money raised from last year’s Santa collection helped benefit The Leicestershire Life Education Project, Rotary’s Youth Speaks, Young Musician, Young Chef, Young Phoographer and Young Writer competitions, Stroke Awareness Day, KidsOut and Warning Zone.

Donations were also given to Melton Churches Together, Seniors Walking Club, Melton Learning Hub, Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation, Rutland Sailability, The Malawi Project, Melton Vale Post 16 Centre and the Melon Lions Club, to assit the collection, buying and distributing of 400 food parcels at Christmas for the needy and elderly.

Anyone wishing to know more about Rotary clubs and what they do will find more details at www.meltonrotary.org.uk or by following The Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray Belvoir’s Facebook or Twitter.