ACTIVITIES arranged by Altrincham Unlimited over the Christmas period have raised more than £600 for The Children's Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT).

A fundraising initiative was launched by CAFT patron Noddy Holder at Altrincham's Christmas lights switch-on, and over the following weeks families were treated to a number of free festive events and activities. These included Art with a Heart's Santa's Grotto, a popular giant snow globe and professional face painting, and the public responded with generous donations amounting to £620 in total.

The much-loved Cheshire-based charity provide a variety of programmes for terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the North West.

Katie Bland, Altrincham Unlimited Manager, said: "We were delighted to have the opportunity to support the Children's Adventure Farm this Christmas. Over the course of the six weeks leading up to Christmas, hundreds of children enjoyed some fantastic activities in Altrincham, and this contributed to a real buzz in the town centre.

“Offering these free of charge was a win-win for everyone concerned. It brought footfall to the town centre, enabled families to have fun in Altrincham and donate what they could afford and in the process raised a substantial sum of money for an extremely worthwhile charity."

Pippa Watton, Senior Events Fundraiser at The Children's Adventure Farm Trust, said: “We’re so grateful to Altrincham Unlimited for supporting us in the lead up to Christmas in 2016.

"Everyone worked so hard to make the festive period fun for all involved, and we were honoured to be part of their fantastic events. The money raised will make a huge difference to the children we support here at CAFT, together we really can change lives.”