More than £19,000 has been raised for local causes by Frome Lions and Rotary’s Santa Float during the festive period.
The 50-year-old tradition saw volunteers make 21 trips on 17 nights and three afternoons over the three weeks running up to Christmas, visiting Frome and surrounding villages while facing heavy rain and high winds.
The float travelled 75 miles across its route, with the 100 volunteers involved walking more than 1,100 miles in total.
This year’s collection set a record of over £19,000, with 12.5% coming from contactless and online donations. The funds will be used by Rotary and Lions to support welfare and community projects in and around Frome.
Richard Lines, President of Frome Rotary, which celebrated its centenary last year, said, “In the 100th year of Rotary in Frome, it is fantastic that Santa’s long-running traditional visit to Frome goes from strength to strength. With over 100 volunteers coming out from Rotary and Lions, we were delighted to be joined by staff from Rotary’s new Corporate Member, Wainwright’s, as well as other groups from around Frome.”
Ian Buick, trustee of the DAKS Trust, a joint venture between Rotary and Lions that operates the float, said, “We would like to thank Recovery Frome for their ongoing support and S M Auto Repairs and Melksham Motor Spares for their help during December.”
President of Lions Club of Frome, Allison Rumming, said, “Lions and Rotary appreciate the trust that the community put in the clubs by supporting us so generously. We will work hard to make sure these donations make a difference to Frome and District residents and the causes close to their hearts.”
