IT might feel too early to think about Christmas but there is only two months to go until Helen and Douglas House’s annual Santa run through Oxford.

The East Oxford-based charity is hoping 1,700 Santas will sign up for the seventh annual two-mile fun run this year to help raise £70,000.

The run on Sunday, December 15 starts and finishes in Broad Street.

Kate Sankey, a community and events fundraiser who training for the event, said: “We are hoping that this year will be our biggest and best yet.

“We are hoping that 1,700 people will sign up. Last year we had 1,500 Santas and it was such an amazing sight.”

Fellow events fundraiser Annaliese Taylor said: “This is one of our most-loved events. It has proved tremendously successful in previous years and last year raised an amazing £70,000 for our charity.”

“This is enough to pay for two care team members for a year, ensuring our Helen and Douglas House hospice houses are a place for these young people to relax, socialise and have fun as well as looking after our guests’ complex medical needs.”

Entry is £14 for adults, £12 for teenagers, £10 for children. Under fives are free.

To register for ‘Santas on the Run’ visit helenanddouglas.

org.uk or for more information email santa@helenanddouglas.

org.uk or call 01865 799150.