A SEA of red could be seen from miles around this weekend as hundreds people donned their Santa suits to march all the way from Chorley to the top of Rivington Pike, and then back again.
The sixth annual Jingle All the Way was bigger than ever, with 800 Santas taking on the 15-mile slog to raise money for Derian house Children’s Hospice on Saturday (November 12).
Organised by Community Ambassador Neil Hailwood, Jingle All the Way is now a Christmas calendar staple that sells-out months in advance and has raised over £100,000 for Derian House since it began.
Neil, 50, from Chorley, began fundraising for Derian House Children’s Hospice in 2012 in memory of a friend’s son who died at an early age.
Since then, he has walked, cycled, held online events, and hosted Jingle All The Way for the past five years.
Neil said: “This weekend was incredible – we broke our record with 800 people dressed as Santa to walk from Chorley to Rivington Pike and back to Chorley to raise vital funds for Derian House.
“Jingle All the Way is an amazing event, yes you might get a few blisters, but you have so much fun doing it – plus you’re doing it for a fantastic cause!
“We are still adding up the numbers, but we’ll be able to announce how much the event made soon.
“There are many different ways to spend your spare time, and my little family try and put all ours into giving back to the families that really need that extra support – we do as much as possible for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
“There is still time to support the event by donating to the JustGiving page – it means so much to us, and will make a huge difference for families across the North West.”
Mick Croskery, Fundraising Manager at Derian House, said: “Jingle all the Way was awesome this year – the most Santas we’ve seen yet.
“Neil is a top guy, he works so hard on ensuring this event is so well organised and always runs like clockwork – we couldn’t be more grateful to him for all he has done for Derian children and families.
“In 2022 it will cost £5.7 million to run services at Derian House with only 17% of this coming from statutory sources and the rest coming our incredible supporters.”
To donate to the event, visit: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/jingle-all-the-way-6/
Find out more about Derian House: www.derianhouse.co.uk
