Brighton’s Santa Bus raised £26,767 for 12 local charities and community groups as generous local people dug deep over Christmas. The Santa Bus, now in its 19th year and run by Brighton & Hove, has raised £370k for local organisations since it began in 2004 and it’s still going strong.
More than 50 local businesses were part of the fundraising effort, most of them volunteering as Santa Bus collection points, while others donated their services, such as printing and distributing leaflets.
Brighton & Hove Buses’ Managing Director Ed Wills, who drove the Santa Bus one night, said he was impressed by the response to the Santa Bus appeal: “What a delight it was to drive the Santa Bus and to see so many people smiling and having a good time, especially after the last couple of years we’ve all had. The Santa Bus is powered by the magic of people who give their time and money, and showed support by coming out to give Santa a cheery wave on the night. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made the Santa Bus happen this year. It’s a real team effort. Colleagues from across Brighton & Hove and Metrobus, and their family and friends, volunteered almost 1,000 hours of their own time to get the Santa Bus ready and to keep it running over 18 nights. Their generosity and support has been overwhelming. Local charities and organisations are the lifeblood of Brighton and Hove, supporting people when they most need help and giving advice all year round. I am so pleased their work has been recognised and that each charity will receive at least £2,000. What a great piece of news to start 2022.”
