Culture staff’s Santa-stic charity gesture

Staff from libraries and museums from across Perth and Kinross will join hundreds of runners for this year’s festive Perth Santa Run in support of two local charities.

A team of employees will be pulling on their Santa suits to run, jog or walk around Perth City centre to raise money for Perth Foodbank and Culture Perth and Kinross.

Santas from Culture Perth and Kinross have already begun training and there will be a chance for the public to show their support by donating towards the charities at venues where Santa is training, including the AK Bell Library from Tuesday, November 27.

Staff will be using fitness equipment made available by Live Active Leisure, who has also given over training time at Rodney Fitness Centre, Perth.

Runners warming up on Mill Street Plaza will be encouraged to participate in a photo shoot of hundreds of Santas filling Perth Museum and Art Gallery prior to the annual run which starts at noon on Saturday, December 8.

Santas and their helpers are also invited to get into the yuletide spirit this festive season with a visit to the latest exhibition from Perth Museum and Art Gallery.

A Perthshire Christmas takes a trip down memory lane with a fireplace recreated from a typical Perthshire sitting room on Christmas Eve, complete with tree, wrapped presents and stockings hung in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. Vintage toys and annuals from the collections, as well as items from the history of Perth Theatre’s pantomime season, will be on display until January 5.

Culture Perth and Kinross sales and marketing manager Roy Jenney said:“Staff from our museums and libraries wanted to support two local charities working at the heart of the community. Taking part in Perth’s Santa Run offered a great opportunity to have fun whilst exercising and raising money at the same time.

Members of the public can also help to fundraise through Just Giving at https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/cpkrunners