THE countdown to Christmas will be that little bit sweeter for children at a Swindon children’s charity.

The Wyvern Theatre and Arts Centre teamed up with local children’s charity Hop Skip and Jump to launch a special Christmas Advent Calendar drive ahead of the arrival of the magical stage show Santa Claus and the Christmas Adventure at the Arts Centre.

The donated advent calendars were presented to boys and girls from the Hop, Skip and Jump Children’s Centre in west Swindon by Santa’s Elves when they made a special appearance on Friday.

Donations came from Wyvern Theatre staff and volunteers, members of the public and from the Swindon Advertiser team who made a very generous contribution.

Marketing manager at Swindon Theatres, Laura James, said: “We’re really excited to welcome Santa Claus and the Christmas Adventure to the Arts Centre this year, and we wanted to engage with a deserving local charity that would benefit from a visit from Santa’s Elves in the run up to Christmas.

“Hop Skip and Jump provide an invaluable service to local children with disabilities and special needs and their families and it was a real pleasure delivering the Advent calendars to them.”

Hop Skip and Jump provide respite care for children and young adults. They have four large centres in Swindon, Bristol, Cheltenham and Wigan providing a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to engage and inspire children with disabilities and special educational needs.

The centres are designed to actively encourage the children to take part in activities that build self-confidence, social skills and self-esteem, while their care provides parents and carers with some much needed respite.

Laura added: “Hop Skip and Jump’s simple vision is to prevent family from collapsing, to encourage and promote the development of children with disabilities and special needs, and, most importantly, to provide the highest quality respite care for those who need it most.”

For more information on Hop Skip and Jump, visit their website www.hopskipandjump.org.uk.

Santa Claus and the Christmas Adventure will be at Swindon Arts Centre from Saturday, December 12 until Thursday, December 24. For more information or to book tickets visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk or telephone the ticket office on 01793 524481.