Aylesbury Rotary Club Christmas Carol Float collection – Scouts and Guides help to collect thousands of pounds to donate to local charities.
Thanks to the generosity of local residents who donated over £9,000 in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Rotary Club of Aylesbury has been able to make grants to twelve local charities and foodbanks.
For two weeks in December, despite the extremely cold and icy weather and often treacherous conditions underfoot, Father Christmas and his elves toured the town almost every evening playing Christmas music. They also visited the High Street for two Saturdays, giving local children of all ages a chance to exchange seasonal greetings with him. 
The incredible people of Aylesbury and district donated in their thousands and over £9,000 has been collected. This is a tremendous achievement once again, especially this year when many people have been struggling with increased living costs. A substantial share of donations will go to local foodbanks based at Southcourt Baptist Church and The Vineyard, since this is an exceptionally busy time for them, with so many individuals and families in need. Grants are also being made to Scannappeal, The National Paralympic Heritage Trust, local scouts and guides, Heart of Bucks, The Gateway Club, The Aylesbury Youth Motor Project, Citizens Advice Buckinghamshire and Wheelpower.
A spokesman for the Rotary Club said, “None of this would be possible without the unflagging support of our drivers, charity volunteers, Friars Square management team, Aylesbury Town Centre managers, the local farming community who look after the float for us and Balloonmania who supplied Santa’s outfit.”
We would not have been able to go out so many evenings this time without the help of local scout and guide groups, especially the Aylesbury Explorer Scouts who did extra shifts in support of The Gateway Club and Foodbanks.