James Pryor and 20 or so friends have always gone out for drinks on Christmas Eve, but four years ago they realised there was an opportunity to get something more out of their annual tradition.
The 12 Stops of Burwell has since become a popular village event and raised thousands of pounds for charities.
It involves James dressed as Santa and pals wearing Christmas jumpers making their way round pre-approved stops such as the Anchor, Fox, Five Bells and social club, whilst rattling collection buckets and offering other pubgoers the chance to have a selfie with Santa.
James said: “This event has become all about the community and how they band together for such a great cause. To wake up on Christmas Day, have a glass of Buck’s Fizz and count coins totalling all the money raised by a great group of friends and an amazing community is a new and incredibly rewarding tradition.
“The work EACH does is heart-warming. There’s nothing worse than a parent losing a child or not being able to protect their children. Supporting a charity like this over the festive period means people can really help some great kids and, importantly, their whole families going through difficult times.”
Bronte Graver, EACH Cambridgeshire Community Fundraiser, said: “This is an example of community fundraising at its best, with the initiative of a few villagers receiving such great backing from the rest. Massive thanks to James and his friends for choosing to donate to us this year. We rely on voluntary donations for the majority of our income, so support like this is invaluable. The amount raised is quite fantastic and will help us continue providing vital care to children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire and the rest of the region, and support to their families.”
For more information about EACH go to www.each.org.uk.