Charity donations down

A Bedfordshire charity fear they could lose out on nearly £35,000 of donations because of the snow and ice.

Since Friday Keech Hospice Care have been unable to get out with their Christmas float and they've also seen a fall in income at their shops.

The charity has already missed out on an estimated £17,000 since last week and is predicting further losses ahead.

Every year, Keech’s Santa and his Smiley Sam train visit local supermarkets and residential areas to collect money for the charity’s adult and children’s hospices. But, the recent snow has stopped Smiley Sam leaving the hospice and the charity is unsure of when the Christmas float will be able to safely continue its rounds.

David White is Chief Executive: "If we lose money at this point, we don't gain it again, we don't send smiley sam out in January, what we haven't had as sales in our shops this week are unlikely to result as extra sales in the future, so we do just see it as a loss in income."