Hundreds of selection boxes to be handed out at fourth annual Briercliffe Santa Trail

Briercliffe Santa Trail returns this weekend to spread a little festive joy while raising much-needed funds for Pendleside Hospice.
By John Deehan
Published 5th Dec 2023, 14:27 BST
Updated 5th Dec 2023, 14:35 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
Read More
Blind Burnley pensioner climbs Pendle Hill for 84th birthday

Santa and his elves will start their journey from the Craven Heifer Pub in Harle Syke at 4-30pm on Sunday.

Joined by Mrs Claus, the Grinch, Olaf, Ana and Elsa, the merry band will be stopping off at Croasdale Avenue, Lydgate, Oaklands Nursing Home, the bus terminal, and Tiverton Drive before arriving at Malham Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Briercliffe Santa Trail will start outside the Craven Heifer Pub at 4-30pm on Sunday.Briercliffe Santa Trail will start outside the Craven Heifer Pub at 4-30pm on Sunday.
Briercliffe Santa Trail will start outside the Craven Heifer Pub at 4-30pm on Sunday.

A whopping 1,500 selection boxes have been donated this year by kind-hearted individuals and businesses, and will be given out to children along the way.

Craven Heifer landlady Michelle Naylor, who came up with the idea after she had to cancel a children's Christmas party during the pandemic, said: "I reached out to a couple of customers to ask if they could help and if could we borrow their trucks. Straight away they were hooked. Then I thought how lovely it would be for all the kids that had missed so much due to Covid to get a present from Santa.

"So, I put a post on Facebook asking for donations of selection boxes. We received about 800. On the day, we went around the village with two trucks, a couple of elves and Santa. And we collected for Pendleside Hospice.

"It was amazing; we couldn’t wait to do it again, but bigger. So we approached more people to help. The Caravan Group loaned us a pink limo, JDS trucks loaned us a truck, and we built a sleigh. Again, we asked for donations of selection boxes. Burnley Football club stepped in, some of the supermarkets, River Kitchens. And with help again from the community, we reached 1,000 selection boxes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Year three was even bigger, with even more companies – Boss Cleaning, Outdoor Flooring Company, LPK – helping us reach 1,200 selection boxes.

"This year will be our biggest yet. Thanks to the continued support of all those companies, and this year, Safran, we have reached an incredible 1,500 selection boxes. It’s going to be a fantastic event, and we can't wait to see everyone there.”

The free event is run by volunteers. All monies collected through collection buckets on the day will go to the hospice.

Related topics:Pendleside Hospice