Corby charity's fundraising Christmas grotto opens again this year
Today the third Zak’s Wish Christmas Experience, a festive grotto with Santa and his elves, opens.
A charity set up in memory of a boy from Corby are promising an even bigger and magical fundraising Christmas grotto this year.
The third Zak’s Wish Christmas Experience - a fundraising festive grotto with Santa and his elves - opens today.
At 18 months old Zak contracted meningitis, leaving him with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and severe learning disabilities.
He passed away in 2022 aged 18.
His mum Vikki Fairhurst set up the charity last year and says he loved Christmas:
"He loved the lights. He just, he loved it all. And we've always done the Christmas lights outside. We always decorated the house, but it just goes 10 times or 20 times (bigger) now."
The grotto is run from the garage connected to her home and gives children a chance to meet Santa in his grotto to enjoying festive treats, fun activities, and even have special SEN-friendly days.
The cost of the tickets fund Zak's Wish which help other children with SEND needs and their families:
"We have now became an official charity on 17th April 2024 and we have helped roughly one child a month, so we're about 14, 15 local children and some parents that needed some help with hospital travel, so I'm quite pleased."
Vikki says she hopes the charity goes from strength to strength and they are able to help two children.