This is when Santa will start making his rounds in Horsham this year

It’s all part of Horsham Lions Club’s support for local people who are most in need this Christmas.

The Lions have have been helping Horsham families for the past 61 years and this year they have identified a number of families in need who have a significant number of children between them.

A Lions spokesperson said: “These families will receive Christmas vouchers for festive food and the children will receive Christmas present vouchers appropriate for their ages. The total cost of undertaking this support could be more than £2,500.”

For the last 22 years or so the Christmas Appeal has taken the form of local collections during December at Tesco, Waitrose, Newbridge Nurseries, Broadbridge Heath, and Santa Collections around The Cedar Drive area of Southwater and the Bartholomew Way and Lemmington Way areas of North Horsham. On average these events raise £5,000 in total.

Lions Club members will be attending the above venues on the following dates: Sunday December 3 2023 Santa Collection around Cedar Drive area of Southwater from 4.30pm to7.15pm; on Friday December 8 and Saturday December 9 at Waitrose; on Sunday December 10 around Bartholomew Way and Lemmington Way areas of North Horsham from 4.30pm and 7pm.

There will be a Santa Collection at Newbridge Nurseries, Broadbridge Heath, on Thursday December 14 and Friday December 15 between 10am and and 5pm.

There will be a collection at Tesco on Saturday December 23 and Sunday December 24 from 9am to 5pm and 9am-4pm respectively.

People can also place money in Lions’ collection buckets at any of the above venues. There is a QR code on all collection buckets and people can also donate via those with the donation going directly into the Lions’ Just Giving Page on its website.

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Pople can also donate directly via the website horshamlionsclub.org and clicking on ‘Donation.’

Lions president Miles Loveday said he would like to thank the people of the Horsham community for their generosity.

Any amount raised over £2,600 will be used on local projects throughout the year.