The sight of 800 revellers dressed as Santa in early November setting off on a 15 mile hike would sometimes raise eyebrows, but not in Chorley where over the past 6 years ‘Jingle’ has become the first thing to be marked on many peoples calendars.
The event, which began in 2016, has raised over £75,000 to date for local children’s hospice, Derian House.
On the 12th November this year, the day did certainly not disappoint, as the sun once again shone and the eager Santas met for their traditional pre-hike pint (or Sambuca!).
As this event has grown in stature, so has the band of local celebrities giving their time to support the event. The Santas left the Rose and Crown at 10am, cheered on by boxer Jack Catterall, rugby league star Josh Charnley and comedian and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Steve Royle.
With a couple of refreshment stops along the way, all 800 Santas made it the seven and a half miles to the top, where they surprised with a pint or glass of Prosecco, courtesy of Blind Tiger Brew Co, a sister company to Blind Tiger Inns the operators of the Roe and Crown. The beers were served on the top of Rivington Pike from a purposely converted Land Rover defender bar.
Once everybody was refreshed, all of the Santas made their way back to the Rose and Crown in Chorley town centre, visiting various hostelries on the way down to keep themselves refreshed.
The event really is an amazing spectacle, and organiser Neil Hailwood, fundraising ambassador for Derian House told us;
“Jingle goes from strength to strength every year and we are so proud of what we have achieved in terms of fundraising for Derian House and lifelong memories from al the participants.
Everybody involved really pulls together to make the event happen, and without them it simply couldn’t be as amazing as it is. The guys from Blind Tiger and the Rose and Crown go above and beyond in the weeks leading up to the event and on the day itself. The Land Rover serving beers at the top really was a masterstroke, and is still being talked about by all the Santa’s”
The final totals aren’t yet confirmed in terms of fundraising, but the event looks set to break the £30,000 barrier which is a phenomenal effort from all the people of Chorley involved in the day.
