Santa delivered early Christmas cheer to families in Harrogate last week after arriving on an all-electric sleigh in the form of a decorated bus.
Working in partnership with local community café The Joyful Brew, bus operator Transdev organised a festive meet-and-greet for children and families at Life Destiny Church in Starbeck on Friday (19th December).
The event saw one of Transdev’s all-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses transformed into a Christmas grotto, complete with festive decorations.
Santa Claus boarded the bus and met almost 100 families from the local community, speaking to children about their Christmas wishes.
Each child attending received a goody bag containing sweets, chocolates, lollipops and a Bright Sparks activity and story book. Some bags also included a Golden Ticket, giving up to five family members free all-day travel on Transdev buses for a festive day out.
Alongside the visit from Santa, The Joyful Brew distributed bags of free food from its in-house foodbank, which operates weekly on Thursdays at the church and is open to anyone who needs support.
Creative Designer and Santa’s Little Helper Ashlie Minasian said:
“We decorated our new Harrogate electric bus head-to-toe in tinsel, baubles and twinkling lights, driven by our very own Mrs Claus.
"It looked amazing, even better once Santa got on board with his bag of treats to give away.
"It was a super afternoon, with the star on top being the amount of food and bathroom items we managed to donate.”
Transdev Office Manager Tracey Cloggie said:
“It was a truly uplifting event to be part of. Welcoming local children and their families created such a special atmosphere.
"Seeing the joy on their faces as they met Father Christmas and received a gift was incredibly rewarding – I can’t wait to do it again next year!”
A volunteer from The Joyful Brew highlighted the café’s wider role in the community, saying:
“The café is a vehicle to do good, and the foodbank is always here for those who need it, but it’s the people here – especially Sarah – who are the true heroes.
“There’s a chalkboard inside that says, ‘Let’s thrive together, not survive alone – there’s always room at the table for you here’, and that says everything about what we’re trying to do.”
In addition to the Christmas bus event, Transdev also donated 10 full family-sized Christmas meals to Harrogate Foodbank.
Distributed on 18th December at Life Destiny Church and The Joyful Brew, each hamper contained ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner, including a turkey crown, vegetables, pigs in blankets, mince pies and crackers, along with a Golden Ticket and a pair of Transdev socks.
Further information about The Joyful Brew and its community work is available via its Facebook page.
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