Festive grotto gifts cheer up children in hospital during holidays

Children who have been spending the Christmas holidays in hospital this year have been cheered up after a donation of toys.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Cherry Lane garden centre had closed its Santa’s grotto and cancelled in-store events.

With gifts all wrapped and ready to be given to children, the garden centre teamed up with Northamptonshire Health Charity to find a good home for the present for children at Northampton General Hospital.

Richard Durrant, manager at Cherry Lane Podington, said: “We’ve always welcomed Father Christmas and it is heartbreaking for us not to have had the big man himself in residence as we normally do.

"2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and we wanted to share some Christmas cheer.

"If Santa couldn’t distribute our sackfuls of gifts here at Cherry Lane, we were keen to ensure they would still go to local girls and boys who really deserve them.

"Looking ahead to next year, we are already working on every way possible to ensure our usual full calendar of events can take place again.”