A SHOPPING park has teamed up with Bournemouth Hospital Charity to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Castlepoint Shopping Park is hosting the 'B Santa Day' from 11am on Sunday December 3 where a £500 cash prize will be up for grabs for the largest group of people wearing Santa outfits together.

Celebrations on the day include the London based Great Christmas band, opportunities for Christmas portraits and to meet real reindeer.

The shopping park has purchased a thousand Santa suits, with vouchers to reserve suits available to buy from Castlepoint or the Bournemouth Hospital Charity office for just £5.

Through the event, Castlepoint are hoping to raise enough money to buy a Christmas present for all the patients in the hospital at Christmas time.

Maria Tidy, senior fundraiser at Bournemouth Hospital Charity, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Castlepoint Shopping Park on such an innovative and fun event for the whole family and it’s such an excellent fit that the Santas will be raising money for patients in hospital at Christmas”

The initiative has been backed by the Student Union at Bournemouth University, Glenmoor and Winton Academies, Bournemouth Tourism and Yellow Buses.

Nicola Goode, Marketing Manager at Bournemouth Tourism, said: “It’s heartwarming to see so much enthusiasm for these types of events.

"They bring communities together and that’s one of Bournemouth’s strengths”

“Bournemouth is a vibrant destination and there’s so much going on for residents and visitors alike.”

Anna Proto, Marketing Manager at Castlepoint, said: “No matter how many people we manage to have, it will be the start of building up a strong community spirit at Christmas time.

"A thousand mile journey starts with one single step.”