This year’s Jingle Bell Jog, a one-mile fancy dress family fun run at Preston’s UCLAN Sports Arena organised by the team at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity in support of its Children’s Fund, attracted a field of 80 participants and is on track to raise its highest ever total.

With entry fees and donations, the event, which was sponsored by 360 Ambulance Ltd, a company that works with the NHS to provide additional ambulance support, has so far raised £1,200 but this total is expected to increase as a number of runners still have individual sponsor money to collect.

Fundraiser Lucy Clark said: “A huge thank you to all our runners, who looked magnificent and really entered into the spirit of the event to make it festive and fun. This includes the team from 360 Ambulance Ltd, which was fantastically costumed. We are extremely grateful to the company for its support.”

Santa himself and his friend Frosty the Snowman led the trackside cheerleading. They also helped choose nine-year-old Sam Gaunt for the best fancy dress award. Sam and mum Alex McKenna ran as Minions while dad Danny Gaunt did a fine impression of the franchise’s villain Gru.

The Children’s Fund raises money for a shopping list of items to make the Royal Preston Hospital’s Children’s Ward and its paediatric outpatients department more welcoming, joyful and comfortable for the 10,000 young patients they treat annually.