Every year during the festive period, the Kingsway Shopping Centre in Newport plays host to Santa’s Grotto to raise money for charity; and in 2017, Hospice of the Valleys were the lucky recipients.
Thanks to the efforts of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, along with the kindness of the Kingsway Management who sponsored the Grotto AND provided all of the toys to be given out by Santa, a massive £8,000 was raised for the Hospice!
The Grotto officially opened its doors on 16th of November and ran all the way up until Christmas Eve. There were some very busy times for Santa and the volunteers, particularly on the day when the city’s Christmas lights were turned on, but with a little hard work and some festive magic, Santa managed to see all of the children and was happy to report that everybody was on the ‘nice list’.
Support of this kind is particularly special to Hospice of the Valleys, as not only does it raise vital funds that go a long way in helping patients, but it also spreads some joy and cheer amongst the community which is always well received, especially at Christmas.
Chief Executive at the Hospice, Grant Usmar, had this to say:
“This really is an amazing donation to receive and will make a significant difference for the hundreds of families we support each year. We are very grateful for the time and energy of the volunteers who not only raised funds for Hospice of the Valleys, they also gave a great experience to the families who visited the grotto.”
Colin Rees Operations Manager of the Kingsway Centre Said “We were very pleased to support Hospice of the Valleys with the Christmas grotto and we are looking forward to be working with them again in 2018”. The grotto was donated to the Hospice of the Valleys by the Kingsway Centre that is owned by Queensberry real estate and managed by JLL on their behalf.”
