Thank You to Our Mersey Cares Santa Dashers for a Record-Breaking 2024 Event!

Dashing through the streets of Liverpool...

On Sunday, December 1, the streets of Liverpool were alive with festive cheer as over 8,500 Santas descended on the city for the 20th anniversary of the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash. This year’s event was extra special, not only for the incredible turnout and the milestone year, but also for the support for Mersey Cares, with three teams taking part.

As thousands of Santas—some in red, others in blue—set off on the 5k course from Pier Head, they dashed past some of Liverpool’s most iconic landmarks, including the Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool Town Hall. There was even a flurry of ‘real’ snow falling to add to the festive magic.

Thank you to our Mersey Cares Santas who raised over £400

A special thank you to our Mersey Cares Santas who took part, helping raise vital funds and awareness for our charity and the mental health and community services we support across Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Among the participants was dedicated husband and wife team, Rado and  Luiza Chmiel who had already shown their support for Mersey Cares earlier in the year by running the Mersey Tunnel 10K.

Rado shared his thoughts on his Instagram page after undertaking his second Mersey Cares fundraising challenge:

“What an unforgettable day yesterday was! From praying for the rain to stop in Liverpool to running alongside nearly 9,000 Santas, the 2024 BTR Liverpool Santa Dash was pure festive magic. Starting at Pier Head, we dashed through the Royal Albert Dock and ended at Liverpool Town Hall with snow, stilt walkers and so much holiday cheer. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of this iconic event with so many amazing people felt truly special. But for me, the highlight was dedicating this 5K to supporting Mersey Cares and their incredible work in mental health. I firmly believe in helping others, and this charity makes such a difference for so many.”

Mersey Care staff were also out in full force, including Assistant Director of Finance Gill McKetterick and Deputy Director of Finance, Sally Proffit, who thoroughly enjoyed the festive event and taking part in support of our charity. Their participation, alongside the rest of the Mersey Care team, was a testament to the unity and enthusiasm of our staff, who are always willing to go the extra mile to support service users, patients and volunteers as well as their Mersey Care colleagues.

“We had a brilliant morning, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the crowds encouraged us on. We would like to thank all the staff who kindly donated to the charity, it’s very much appreciated,” said Sally following the event.

Mersey Care Management PA’s Joanne Oliver and Hana Wafer also took part, with Joanne raising money for Mersey Cares and Hana supporting Zoe’s Place Liverpool – a hospice for babies, infants and children with life-limiting conditions.

Both recalled having a thoroughly enjoyable day, choosing red suits and completing the course to receive the iconic Santa Dash snowflake medal.

“The weather was good and the atmosphere was amazing. There were more than 8500 Santas and a lot of support on the streets of Liverpool too from local businesses.  We completed the 5k course in 45 minutes," Joanne shared. 

"I just wanted to raise money for Mersey Cares because I know that the mental health charities are very useful to people who struggle with their mental health and need all the support they can get. Myself and Hana were excited to take part and we hope we can raise as much money as possible for the charities we have chosen.”

From the bottom of our hearts we'd just like to thank everyone who took part—whether as a runner, a donor, or a cheerleader— your support will enable us to bring projects beyond the usual scope of the NHS to life across the region.