By Jenny Gibson

Villagers have been delighting at the familiar festive sight of their Running Santa, pounding the Colne Valley’s roads, for the fifth and final year.

With only a few more runs to do, sprinting St Nick, adorned in fairy lights, is on a serious mission to raise an amazing £20,000 to help feed hungry local families this winter.

But he still has a long way to go to meet this target, and is calling on local people to remember those less fortunate – and donate via his crowdfunding page.

Running Santa, aka James Carter, of Cowlersley, first set out back in 2020 as a newbie jogger, keen to get fit.

After discussing road safety with his children, he started wearing festive lights for visibility, before moving on to full Father Christmas attire and playing seasonal tunes.

James, 37, who’s also well known as club secretary at Linthwaite FC, has been running for 25 days in December, finishing on Christmas Eve with a shopping trolley dash to collect food bank donations.

But he’s decided this time will be his final campaign of this type, due to work commitments, and the sheer effort of running 10km each day.

 

 

James said: “I started my fundraising in 2020. In the pandemic, many families struggled financially and demand on the only food bank in the Colne Valley was high.

“I’d never run a kilometre in my life but I progressed to running 10km, from home to the food bank in Slaithwaite and back.”

James – who is joined this year by his Big Elf, aka Simon Hagerty, 45, vice secretary at Linthwaite FC – added: “I couldn’t believe it when families started waiting out to see me, and cars started tooting their horns for me. Now that happens every time we go out and we love it.

“It’s been great to show my children that even though Christmas is bright and magical for them, we have to do what we can in life to try and make it bright and magical for others too. Simon my Big Elf is a huge support.”

Running Santa’s first ever campaign in 2020 raised £3,500 and in 2021 he totalled £2,160. In 2022 he collected £3,100 and last year he raised £3,831.

This year James wants to raise £8,000, bringing the overall total to £20,000. He will run 250km in total, on a regular route from Cowlersley to Linthwaite then Slaithwaite and back. The cash will go to local food banks Colne Valley Help and Storth House CIC.

Visit Running Santa on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ColneValleyRunningSanta