THE current financial climate has had no effect on the generosity of Stourbridge folk after Kinver Rotary Club’s annual Christmas sleigh smashed its previous fundraising totals.

For nine nights in the run up to Christmas, Santa and his sleigh travelled house-to-house around Kinver, Enville, Wollaston, Wall Heath and Kingswinford, collecting more than £7,200 on the way.

The amount of money raised has steadily increased ever since the sleigh first hit the streets of Kinver, Stourton and Enville back in 1985.

Over the years, the sleigh’s popularity has continued to increase to the point where it now visits local schools, supermarkets, shopping centres and even features at the annual Mary Stevens Hospice Santa Jog in Stourbridge.

Together with the donations from schools and support from customers in the village’s pubs and restaurants, the 2016 total has reflected a 10 per cent increase on last year’s figure and seven per cent more than the previous record of 2014.

Club president Ian Maddock thanked everybody across the area who put cash in the collecting tins, adding: “Rotarians put a lot of time and effort into the sleigh but the rewards they get, from the looks of pleasure they get from the children meeting Santa outside their homes, in their schools and outside their local supermarkets, more than make up for the hard work of members.

“The superb financial result is the icing on the cake.”

All the donated cash, after deduction of expenses, will be distributed among local charities throughout the new year.