Staff at a garden centre in Twickenham have chosen a charity which creates gardens for patients with spinal injuries to support for the coming year.
Squires will kick off its association with Horatio's Garden by running a free grotto on November 22 and 23 following the arrival of Santa himself.
The great man will be catching a lift on a Routemaster bus and will spend the weekend handing out free gifts to all the children who come and visit him.
Any donations the public makes will be going direct to the charity - which works with treatment centres around the country and was founded as a tribute to Horatio Chapple the British teenager who was mauled to death by a Polar bear on a trek in Norway in 2011.
Squire’s Twickenham will support the charity through to September next year.
During this time, staff will raise awareness through their marketing material along with on-going fundraising from events and collection boxes.
Sarah Squire, Deputy Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Horatio’s Garden as our ‘Charity of the Year’.
"We hope to be able to donate a generous amount throughout the year - with thanks to our customers - and to support the charity on specific projects through the sharing of our time, skills and expertise.”
You can find out more information about the charity at www.horatiosgarden.org.uk
The Twickenham grotto will be open 10.30am-4pm on Saturdays and 10.30am-3.30pm on Sundays. Santa will also be in his grotto from 10.30am-5pm on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd December, and from 10.30am-2pm on Wednesday 24th. Children may visit the grotto completely free of charge and will receive a free present, with all grotto donations going to Horatio’s Garden.
On November 22 Squire's Shepperton will also welcome Santa and open Santa’s Magical Grotto which will run until 24th December.
Meet Santa’s nephew, Santoe, who will dazzle you with some Christmas magic that he has learned from the elves at the North Pole. Santoe will be looking out for some little helpers of his own to assist with his live magic show.
The cost is £7 per child (rising to £8 from 13-24 Dec) and £3 for adults with everyone receiving a wrapped Christmas gift.
Tickets can be booked online at squiresgardencentres.co.uk/magic or by calling 08456864515. Another local branch, Stanmore, will also welcome Santa as he arrives by Harley Davidson at 10am on November 29.
