Santa and his helper hit Aberdeenshire and STV!

Santa and his little-helper made an early 300-mile round trip across Aberdeenshire last week, bringing Christmas joy to people we support in the area.

Karen Wood, one of our charity’s incredible Regional Managers in Scotland, took to the road with her dad, Billy Dailly, to deliver personalised gifts to over 20 houses across the region, much to the delight of their recipients, who were very excited to get a sneak peek at the man himself ahead of the big day.

Santa and his helper travelled across the whole of the Aberdeenshire region, including the city of Aberdeen, making the days of 58 people we support, with gifts including puzzles, sweets, pyjamas, and bath bombs.

There were no reindeers in sight, however news channel STV came along for part of the journey, to capture the fun for Scotland’s news.

Karen and Billy made the choice to safely deliver Christmas cheer, after Covid sadly quashed another year of Christmas parties.

Their journey took them all the way from Huntly to Portlethen, delivering gifts at a distance outdoors, or through following covid-safe protocols indoors.

It’s the second time Karen and her father have made the trip, scaling up this year, to reach more people.

Karen said: “We spoke to each house we support to make sure that the gifts were personalised and special for every person. Though it’s a special time of year, Christmas can be a difficult time for people with care needs, especially when restrictions are still in place.

“Many of the people we support often rely on routine and the social aspects of the holiday season, so gestures like this really can lift people and their carers, and it’s a wonderful experience for us too. The reactions we receive, not only to the gifts, but to Santa himself, really do make the trip worth it.”

Santa and his elf hit the primetime on this evening’s news bulletin (20 December), on Scotland news channel STV, Channel 3, at 6:00pm.