MORE than 500 people recently took part in a Santa fun run event raising vital cash for charity.

Wyre Forest charity KEMP Hospice hosted its 11th annual festive fundraising event at Brinton Park on Sunday which saw hundreds of people take part in the region’s only 10k Santa fun run.

There was also a children’s Santa dash and a 25 mile festive Santa cycle ride.

Shelley Stanley, from KEMP Hospice, said: “We are utterly blown away by the number of people that took part.

"It was such an incredible sight to see so many wonderful families come out to Brinton Park and help raise money for the care and support we provide to people dealing with life-limiting illnesses or bereavement.

"Last year was the 10th anniversary of the Santa Fun Run and we thought that this year we might see numbers dwindle, however it’s clear that the love and support for KEMP from the Wyre Forest district is stronger than ever before."

She added: "We wanted to give people the chance to do a cycle ride this year and I never expected that we’d not only break the attendance record for people running but also hold a cycling event that saw more than 70 people sign up for.”

Everyone who signed up received a free Santa suit to wear, with many spectators also dressing up for the occasion to cheer them on.

All the money raised from the event will go directly to operating KEMP Hospice allowing it to provide care and support services for people across the Wyre Forest district.

One runner who went the extra distance was Shaun Marshall from Kidderminster who started his Santa Fun Run a day earlier than anyone else, as he embarked on a 24-hour run for KEMP.

He covered a distance of more than 100 miles and raised more than £1,100 in the process.