SKIPTON councillor Andy Solloway will be joined by town mayor Karen McIntyre, town council leader Alan Hickman and councillor Tony Barrett in this year’s ‘virtual’ Great Skipton Santa Fun Run.

Cllr Solloway appealed to his fellow town councillors to take part in the virtual event after Skipton Craven Rotary Club’s annual 5k run, which attracts almost 2,000 people and raises thousands for charities, had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With large scale gatherings not possible, the rotary club is instead asking people to carry out a ‘virtual’ event over the weekend of Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13 instead, and to choose their own 5k route, whether its running, walking, inside or out.

Cllr Solloway said:”The Rotary Club of Craven have organised the Skipton Santa Fun Run year on year, to the point where last year it had 2, 000 entries, started off on the High Street and contributed to a bumper day on Skipton Sunday Market.

“The rotary club use the money raised from this event and others they organise to help local charities, plus they have in the past funded Skipton Town Council projects too.

“This fun run was going to be even bigger this year but this nasty, cruel and insidious virus put a temporary stop to that.”

Cllr Solloway will be doing his 5k on his bike, in support of Skipton Step Into Action, which was set up in response to the coronavirus crisis and of which he is a trustee.

“My plan is to do the run as a slow bike ride in tribute to my bike which I have used in my role with Skipton Step Into Action as their courier. I have delivered flyers, masks, badges, information, cards, prescriptions and helped the people who were using 3D printers to make face shields early on too. I even used the bike to deliver some kids meals at half term.”

To find out about Skipton Step Into Action, visit: ssia.org.uk; to sign up for the Santa fun run, visit:skiptonsantafunrun.com