(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)

Newcastle football club hands out hundreds of Christmas presents after creating Santa's Grotto

by · ChronicleLive

A grassroots football club has provided hundreds of children with Christmas presents after creating a Santa's Grotto. Newcastle East End FC offered children the chance to meet Santa and pick their own present this weekend.

The club, based in Walkergate, Newcastle, have been putting on a Santa's Grotto since 2021 and it has grown bigger every year. On Sunday, they had around 450 presents to give out to children as well as hampers which would be won on a raffle.

Charlie Scott, 76, set up Newcastle East End FC with his late son Kelly, 52, in 1995. The pair began 30 years ago with two teams and grew the club into one of the biggest in the North East. They now have 32 teams and around 400 members.

Everyone at the club was devastated when Kelly sadly died last month. He was put on a life support machine after suffering a bleed on the brain on Saturday, November 15 and passed away two days later.

Charlie, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, told ChronicleLive the Santa's Grotto event was harder this year as Kelly should have been there.

Charlie, who dressed up as an elf for the occasion, said: "It was incredible. It was fantastic seeing the children's faces. It makes it really worthwhile for us. It's a great way to end the year after what happened to my son. He would have wanted it on.

"The club likes to give back to the community. We want the kids to be happy for Christmas.

"We started it just after lockdown and it's got bigger and bigger. It's for anyone who wants to come down. We get a lot of children from other football clubs."

The club arranged an allocated slot for disabled children and those with autism before opening the Grotto to all visitors. Some of the presents were donated but most of them were self generated by the club.

The club were also given a giant teddy bear, which they put on display, by Newcastle City Council.

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 those who run the club dressed up as festive characters and drove around on Christmas Eve handing out presents. The following year they decided to build a Santa's Grotto in one of the changing rooms.

Over the last four years, the Grotto has grown so big that it now takes over two rooms. Charlie's wife Bev, 64, who was Kelly's step-mother, said: "Some kids don't get a lot. We love to see their little faces when they come in.

"The parents absolutely love it, they say it's amazing. It's nice for the community."

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Charlie Scott and his wife Bev(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)
Children visited Santa in his Grotto(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)
L-R Reiss Walker, nine, Chloe Walker, seven, Jaydn Walker, six, Theo Wilcox, eight, and Shay Bailey, nine(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)
Beau Culham, eight, and his sister Adah, five, with Santa(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)
Charlie Scott with Wren Clark, seven, and her brother Louis, five(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)
Wren and Louis meet Santa(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)