2,500 Santas walk 15 miles to raise £35,000 for Derian House hospice
The 10th annual Jingle All the Way event saw thousands of Santas join together for a fun day and raise vital funds for Derian House children’s hospice, with £35,000 raised so far
Up to 2,500 Santas joined together for a 15 mile round-trip walk from Chorley town centre to Rivington Pike for the 10th annual Jingle All the Way to raise money for Derian House children’s hospice.
Organised by Chorley’s Neil Hailwood, one of the event’s main aims is to “get as many people involved as possible and have a fun day”.
At the start line were some familiar faces, including Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and Derian Danni, the charity’s mascot.
After some Christmas music, bagpipes and the sounds of Chorley Silver Band, a countdown kicked off the festive walk.
Thousands of Santas first went down High Street, and then turned right, leading them through New Market Street.
A bit further up by the Asda, on Bolton Street, was Chorley local 77-year-old George Gillett who, with his daughter and partner, raised £1,400 for Derian House.
He said: “I can’t make it all the way, so I am just going to walk as far as I can, just having a good laugh.”
As Santas kept flooding the streets, residents cheered them on and handed out biscuits.
After many miles on pavement, it was then into Horwich where the Santas soon started the incline up to Rivington Pike, sighing with relief after reaching the top of the hill.
Helping out at the top was fundraising manager at Derian House Emma Jacovelli.
She said: “So we’ve got 2,500 Santas taking part today, but there were over 400 people waiting on the waiting list, so hopefully it will be even bigger next year.
“Its incredible, and you can see how much people are loving it, its more than a walk, its a massive social event, especially for Chorley, not only does it support Derian but the local businesses the bars the cafes the restaurants, there’s just a buzz around Chorley on Jingle day.
“The support from Jingle, not only financially, but it raises the hospice profile, people taking part today might not know much about Derian, so it’s everything.”
The descent back into Chorley was a different route out of Rivington, going through one of its old arches and passing pubs like The Bay Horse and The Black Horse.
Completing the 15 miles took the Santas back into town, into the Chorley Market area, to collect a medal for completing the journey.