Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club sleigh set for facelift

For most of us, Christmas seems a long way off but for a Rotary club, time is already running out following its recent discovery that Santa’s sleigh needs a massive facelift to appear during the month of December.

Members of Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club will now be working against the clock to ensure their unique 30 year old sleigh undergoes the major overhaul to once again fundraise and give pleasure in the lead up to Christmas.

For the sleigh requires a re-build which includes stripping it down, re-building with new panels, paint, signage, sound system, electrics and installation of a new battery-operated generator.

Only through a multitude of time-consuming tasks can the sleigh be refurbished in time to once again take to the streets to the pleasure of many thousands of people in the important run-up to Christmas.

Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club has set aside a budget of £1,000 to complete the work which will be carried out at the workshop of member Johnathan Callwood near Church Stretton.

Additionally, the club will need to ensure the sleigh is certified as roadworthy before its use this Christmas.

Another problem they face is finding a new ‘home’ for the sleigh with the search for premises on-going.

Said the club’s president Rotarian David Morris: “I am afraid that the sleigh has been showing signs of wear and tear for some time now.  It's clearly very important that we do absolutely everything we can to make sure Santa is as safe as possible when he appears again in December. 

“Our upgrade will see a much brighter colour scheme and more vibrant electrical displays, but will take several months to complete.  Generous sponsors are now actively being sought to help us. 

“Our sleigh has become a very popular part of Shrewsbury's annual Christmas festivities and we are doing everything we can to make sure that the town's Christmas offering continues to improve so that we can keep on raising funds for so many needy local charities.”