Chichester Festive bus raises over £1,000 for charity

Staff at Chichester’s Stagecoach bus depot went all out at Christmas with their Santa bus, raising £1040 in donations for the Sussex Snow Drop Trust.

The festive single-decker bus received a Christmas makeover and was driven by Santa Claus, or Mrs Claus in the lead up to Christmas, serving destinations across the Chichester, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and Midhurst area.

Phil Escott, Assistant Operations Manager for Stagecoach in Chichester said: “Our Santa bus has become a great tradition each Christmas. We are delighted the festive bus brought so much festive joy to the communities we serve. I’m sure that our customers will be pleased knowing that they have helped raise over £1000 for The Sussex Snowdrop Trust”.

The Sussex Snowdrop Trust was founded 30 years ago in 1993. The Trust funds a Care at Home Team which is based in Chichester, West Sussex which is under the umbrella of the NHS. The team provides vital nursing care at home and counselling for families who are caring for a child who has a life-threatening or terminal illness within a 15-mile radius of Chichester.

Di Levantine, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Trust rode on the festive bus and said: “We are so grateful to Santa and Mrs Claus and the whole team at Stagecoach for this brilliant initiative of raising funds.

"Thank you to everyone who generously donated. This money will go towards helping families in the local community who endure so much caring for their sick children. I loved being on the bus and enjoyed the festive sing-along!”