Festive runners to return to Lymington High Street for Oakhaven Hospice Santa Dash

LYMINGTON High Street will once more be awash with Jolly Saint Nicks as Oakhaven Hospice’s popular Santa dash returns.

The festively attired runners will get on their marks for a 3km circuit around the town’s streets from 11.30am on Sunday, after Covid restrictions cancelled 2020’s fundraiser.

Sponsorship for entrants will go towards the Pennington-based trust’s ongoing work providing specialist end-of-life care and support.

Amid fresh concerns over the emergence of new “variant of concern” Omicron, some changes have been made to limit any time entrants spend indoors together.

Oakhaven is urging people to keep close contact to a minimum and maintain social distancing where possible.

There will be no registration on the day, with runners asked to pre-register and arrive race-ready. Santa suits and race numbers can be collected from Oakhaven’s Ampress Park site between 10am and 4pm tomorrow (Saturday).

The Omicron variant has also forced Oakhaven to cancel all its indoor Christmas events, including its Dining Divas lunches at the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu.

The Light up a Life commemorative services at Lymington’s St Thomas’s Church and a new service at St John’s Church in Hythe, previously scheduled for Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th December respectively, will be replaced with a pre-recorded online service at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/light-up-a-life from 17th December.

A selection of items already prepared for the Christmas Fair, which would have run from yesterday to tomorrow, can still be purchased. Details are available at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/events and on the hospice’s social media pages.

A trust spokesperson said: “Oakhaven Hospice is committed to ensuring that its community, staff, volunteers and those we care for remain safe and well this Christmas.

“We have therefore taken the difficult decision to cancel all our indoor Christmas events to minimise the spread of Covid with the hope that families and friends can come together this year.

“We wish you all a safe Christmas and extend our sincere thanks to all of you in our community who have supported us throughout the last two years.”

The spokesperson added: “Your commitment to fundraising, volunteering and your messages of support have been invaluable in carrying us through these uncertain times, making a very real difference to those that we support and care for, allowing Oakhaven to make every moment matter for those facing the end of life.”

For more information about the Santa Dash visit www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/santa-dash