Switchboard will receive an incredible £1,881 of the funds raised by the 2023 Santa Bus tour, it has been revealed.
Brighton & Hove Buses, which organised the 20th annual fundraiser for 20 charities over 20 nights, said our share would come from total proceeds worth £37,620.05.
Jason Saw, Switchboard’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “This is a wonderful start to the new year and we couldn’t be more delighted!
“We’d like to say a massive ‘thank you’ to Brighton & Hove Buses and all the other volunteers for making the 2023 Santa Bus tour such an amazing success.
“Kindness and generosity like this enables us to continue to provide vital support services for LGBTQ+ people across Sussex who rely on us.”
The Santa Bus, an open-topped double-decker decorated with 10,000 lights, criss-crossed Brighton and Hove over 20 nights until 20 December last year.
As the bus visited more than 200 roads, Santa waved from the top deck bellowing “ho, ho, ho!” against a backdrop of cheerful Christmas music.
Onlookers, who packed streets from Patcham to Peacehaven, cheered, waved back and donated money, some via business collection points and an online Go Fund Me page.
Volunteers from Brighton & Hove Buses, charity beneficiaries, businesses and Brighton and Hove City Council helped by filling roles such as bus driving, bucket collecting, safety support and assisting Santa.
Between 20 and 30 of them each night donated a total of 1,876 hours of their time to a cause that has now raised more than £417,500 for good causes since it began.
Planning has already begun for this year’s tour and the dates and routes will be advertised in early autumn.