Meadowhall Santa: Shopping centre unveils 'sleigh landing strip' so Father Christmas can spot Sheffield

Meadowhall has unveiled a ‘sleigh landing strip’ by glamming up its roof in red along with a lit-up sign, all to make sure Saint Nick doesn’t miss the Steel City on December 25.

The festive glow-up is in partnership with charity Roundabout, a homelessness support service that provides accommodation to Sheffield’s rough sleepers. Customers have been donating gifts over the past month, and the landing strip will help the big red man know where to stop and pick up the presents.

Shoppers have been donating gifts at the Meadowhall Gift Card store through the festive period, with the final day for donations tomorrow (Tuesday).

Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, said: “We’re always incredibly grateful for the generosity of our customers in supporting our charity partners who do such fantastic work in our local communities.

“We wanted to make sure that Santa couldn’t miss us when he stops by to collect the presents donated by visitors, and what better way than to light up the centre in festive colours and make sure he has a dedicated landing spot to touch down.”

Emily Bush, fundraising manager at Roundabout, said: “The support we’ve had from Meadowhall and their customers in the last 12 months has been invaluable to our organisation, and we’re so pleased that this has continued during the festive season. It’s brilliant to see how many gifts have been donated and we’re looking forward to them being distributed to the people we support ready for the big day.”

Meadowhall has also supported Roundabout this Christmas with a limited-edition festive charity gift card wallet designed by local artist Luke Horton available at the Meadowhall Gift Card store right up to December 24. The design is inspired by the county of Yorkshire, featuring a signature local saying and an illustration of the centre, complete with Father Christmas and Rudolph. These limited-edition gift cards cost an additional £1 with 100 per cent of this donation going straight to Roundabout.

For more information, visit www.meadowhall.co.uk.