This December, Flemingate Shopping Centre partnered with East Yorkshire Foodbank to bring joy to children and make a real difference to the community with a heart-warming initiative: Santa’s Mini Grotto. Rather than paying for the opportunity to meet Santa, families were invited to bring non-perishable food donations to support the local foodbank. The children placed their contributions into Santa’s helpers’ trolleys as they visited the man in red, spreading holiday cheer while helping those in need.
Santa with his team of helpers!
Jo Bridgeman, Flemingate’s Marketing and Events Manager, shared her delight at the event’s success. “It was such a lovely atmosphere. Parents and carers really seemed to value the event,” she said. “Visiting Santa can be expensive, and this was a great way to offer a special experience to families with younger children, especially while older kids were at school. It was heart-warming to hear little ones talking about how they brought food to help someone else. Our youngest visitor was just 3 weeks old!”
The generosity didn’t stop there—many visitors who didn’t have young children also contributed food donations. Local businesses and shops at Flemingate showed their support, joining in to make a real impact.
Mandy Thomlinson, Project Manager at East Yorkshire Foodbank, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We are so grateful for all the donations we received from the public and businesses at Flemingate. Over the two days, we collected more than 40 crates of food, which will make a huge difference to those in need this holiday season.”
Thanks to the kindness of local families and businesses, this festive event truly embodied the spirit of giving, helping to brighten the holiday season for many in the community.
