The Santa Bus is returning to Brighton & Hove!
This year, Brighton & Hove Buses’ Santa Bus will once again visit over 200 streets in Brighton & Hove in the run-up to Christmas, spreading festive joy and cheer and raising money for 12 local charities.
Last year, to keep the Santa Bus rolling, the bus company decided to do things a bit differently. Instead of door-to-door bucket collections, donations were collected on the streets, via local businesses, and online. This way of fundraising was so successful that Santa and his team have decided to continue with the on-street collections this year.
And as ever, this year we are once again calling upon local businesses to sign up as Santa Bus collection points in support of the 12 chosen charities. To find out how to register and see a list of routes the Santa Bus covers, visit: www.buses.co.uk/santabus. It’s quick and easy to do, and every participating organisation will receive a collection bucket and poster and appear on the bus company’s Santa Bus map on the website.
Managing director, Ed Wills said: “The Santa Bus is only possible with the generosity and support of local businesses, organisations, and everyone who volunteers and donates. Signing up to be a Santa Bus collection point couldn’t be easier, and we’re really looking forward to increasing the number of collections points this year. We owe a huge thank you to our customers and local communities for all their help and support.”
This year’s chosen charities are: Martlets, Chestnut Tree House, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Take Shelter, Possability People, Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, Extratime, Voices in Exile, Sussex Cancer Centre, Ronald McDonald House, RISE and Fareshare Sussex.
Alison Taylor, Corporate Fundraising Manager for Chestnut Tree House says: “Being part of the Santa Bus 2022 means so much to all of the children and families we support throughout Sussex and SE Hampshire. It will enable us to raise much needed funds and awareness within the community. Thank you so much to everyone who supports the Santa Bus year after year.”
Brighton & Hove Buses’ open-topped Santa Bus is decorated with 10,000 lights and plays Christmas music while Santa waves from the top deck. The festive music and lights on the Santa Bus are all battery powered via an onboard alternator feed whilst the bus is in motion, which is also topped up overnight via mains electricity.
The Santa Bus has raised over £350,000 for local charities and organisations since it began in 2003.