The Huntingdonshire Community Group COVID-19 Response Team provided hundreds of gifts to local children over the weekend of December 19-20.

Since announcing their Christmas appeal in late September the Huntingdonshire Community Group COVID-19 Response Team have been inundated with generous donations from local residents, charities, businesses and other local community groups.

Sagar Patel, owner of Costcutter, Sallowbush Road and Tesco Extra Huntingdon donated several boxes of gifts to the group to distribute to local children alongside the mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Karl Webb .

The group's founder Cllr Patrick Kadewere said: “We are incredibly grateful to both Mr Patel and Tesco for their generous donations.

“It has been an honour for me personally to transform into “Santa Patrick” this year whilst distributing hundreds of gifts to children in our community.

“So many children have suffered this year due to the pandemic and we wanted to do all we can to ensure children in our community have a happy Christmas.

“This however would not have been possible without the generous support we have been given this year, thank you to everyone who supported this appeal.”

Cllr Webb said: “I was pleased to be able to join the Huntingdonshire Community Group to help hand out presents to local children.

“Watching the faces on the children, and their families, as we gave them their Christmas goodies was heartening to see.

“I am very proud to see how our community has really come together during this awful pandemic.

“Thank you to all those who contributed to this appeal and organised this wonderful distribution.”