Sarum Avenue residents raise highest ever total for air ambulance

Residents of Sarum Avenue have raised over £25,000 for the local air ambulance charity, the highest ever amount from their Christmas lights fundraiser.

A group of residents visited the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance base in Semington on Saturday 14th February to present a cheque and were invited to tour the facilities.

Stacey Jones, who is part of the Sarum Avenue Christmas Lights Group, said, “I don’t even think you can put it into words. Raising this much is not what we expected. We wanted £20,000 because the previous year we raised £16,000. The fact that we have gone above and beyond is incredible. It is about raising money and, for such a good cause, without people like us doing what we do, the air ambulance charity would not be able to do what they do.

“We had so many rainy evenings. The number of people that did turn up despite the weather was amazing. Halfway through the month we really didn’t think we would hit the 2024 total, let alone be nearly £10,000 over.”

The fundraiser sees residents decorate the street with Christmas lights and decorations throughout December. Last year marked the street’s fifth year of the display, which has grown in size over time. Highlights included the UK’s largest illuminated Father Christmas sculpture, covering nearly 40sqm and adorned with over 10,000 lights.

Stacey added, “The whole thing is also about bringing the community together. That’s what makes it too. It’s bringing another tradition to the younger generation. We don’t have a lot in Melksham where you can go for free, and there are so many families who can’t afford to take their children to see Father Christmas at Longleat or do all these big and wonderful things. We feel that doing this little something for them makes a massive impact for those families.”

Pictured: Sarum Avenue residents at the cheque presentation