SQUIRE’S Garden Centres have presented cheques totalling £17,756 to various charities across the South East, including Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and The Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Squire’s customers donated this money primarily in return for a free visit to Santa, who was in his grotto across Squire’s centres during the Christmas period.

Shoppers were generous with their pounds and were more than happy to see well-deserving local charities benefit from their donations.

Sarah Squire, deputy chairman at Squire’s, said: “Our free grotto was incredibly popular and it was great to see our customers show their appreciation.

“Our garden centre staff make their own choice when it comes to which charity to support through the grotto, and we certainly agree that each local charity selected very much deserved the wonderful support shown by the local community.”

Squire’s in Badshot Lea raised £196 for Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and the Cobham centre raised £1,379 for The Royal Surrey County Hospital.

The generosity didn’t just end with the free grotto donations. Four of Squire’s Garden Centres invited their charity to exclusive previews of the new Ice Grotto Adventure at Squire’s in Badshot Lea and Shepperton, and the 4D Grotto Experience at Squire’s in Milford.