On Sunday, 7th December, Oakhaven will be turning Lymington red with a sea of Santas! This will be Lymington’s 16th annual Santa Dash, which over 15 years has raised more than £200,000 for the Hospice.
Lovingly known by many locals as ‘the unofficial start of Christmas’, the Oakhaven Santa Dash is a fun opportunity to gather together with friends, family, and colleagues to run, jog, walk, stroll, or even scoot around the streets of Lymington. Although some might be speeding to win, many choose to ‘dash’ far more sedately!
Registration is now open! Entry is £15 per adult and £7.50 per child, with a family ticket priced at £40. There is also a special ‘6 for £60’ ticket, which is perfect for groups of friends and colleagues. Register today at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/santa-dash
Your ticket price includes a Santa suit, which will be available to collect on Saturday, 6th, or Sunday, 7th December from Lymington Community Centre, on a first-come, first-served basis. Regular ‘Dashers’ are encouraged to wear again any Santa suits they may have saved from previous years – and anyone who would prefer to dress as a different festive character is welcome to do so! Decorated pushchairs and buggies are welcome, as are mobility scooters. If you are bringing your dog, feel free to dress them up – but short leads are a must. The Oakhaven Santa Dash will start and finish in Lymington High Street, outside the event’s headline sponsor, John D Wood & Co.
Kat Mitchell, Head of Lettings at John D Wood & Co, said, “We are looking forward to kicking off the Christmas countdown again this year with our sponsorship of Santa Dash 2025 – arguably the most fun day of the festive period! A fantastic day for a wonderful cause that we, and the whole town, are proud to be a part of.” Jill West, Fundraising Manager for Community and Events at Oakhaven Hospice, said, “We are very much looking forward to our 16th Santa Dash and would like to thank our event sponsors for their support, in particular John D Wood & Co, our headline sponsor for over a decade, and Scott Bailey LLP, our Santa suit sponsor. This year, we hope our Santa Dash will be bigger and better than ever. Oakhaven needs your support more than ever, whether you take part in the fun run, sponsor a Santa Dasher, or come along on the day to cheer on the Santas. This year, we are introducing three special wooden trophies that will be presented to the Top Corporate Fundraiser, Top Fundraising Team, and Top Individual Fundraiser. Sponsorship forms and links to set up a JustGiving page can be found on our website, or contact our fundraising team for assistance. Oakhaven provides hospice care free of charge, and every penny raised helps our specialist team to make every moment matter for local families at the most difficult of times.”
All funds raised by the Santa Dash will help to fund Oakhaven’s day-to-day running costs, which last year amounted to £9 million. With only 11% of funding covered by the NHS, your local hospice relies on kind donations, fundraising, gifts in wills and income from its charity shops and home care provider, Oakhaven Care Ltd, to cover the remaining 89% of costs.
Find out more about how you can support Oakhaven at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk, contact fundraising@oakhavenhospice.co.uk or call 01590 677773.
