A weekend of festivities for Aico

Last weekend brought an array of Christmas cheer and festive fun to Aico, with colleagues participating in the Oswestry Christmas Parade and the Shropshire Santa Run.

On Saturday 4th December, the annual Oswestry Christmas Parade adorned the streets of Oswestry, with businesses and organisations from across the town thoughtfully designing a procession of Christmas floats.

Organised by Borderland Rotary, the event has become a longstanding tradition, which brings the community together to raise vital funds for those who need support.

Aico’s float drew inspiration from the well-known film ‘The Polar Express’. To match the Christmas spirit of the magical train, Aico colleagues dressed up as passengers in pyjamas, Santa Claus, Christmas elves and jolly conductors.

As the float made its way through the town centre, fairy lights twinkled and artificial snow fluttered into the crowd, creating a memorable moment for everyone involved.

Jane Pritchard, Community Liaison for Aico, says of the event, “It was magical! I can’t tell you how proud our colleagues were to be part of the parade. To see thousands of children’s faces light up around the town, especially with our snow machine, it went down a treat! A fantastic experience and quite overwhelming. We all really felt part of the community.”

After the Parade, Aico were delighted to see the Aico Express crowned as the Best Commercial Float.

The festivities continued on Sunday 5th December at the Shropshire Santa Run, organised by local company, Adrenaline Sporting Events. The race’s charity partner was Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and close to £1,500 was raised for their essential work.

Approximately 400 runners, including four Aico colleagues, participated in the 5km route, which started and finished in Church Street; from the beard to the belt, each runner wore a 5-piece Santa Claus suit and received a Christmas-themed medal after they crossed the finish line.

Matthew Powell, Marketing Executive for Aico, took part in the Santa Run and commented, “This was my first-time taking part in a Santa Run and what an experience it was. It was great to see so many people from the local community coming together for a fun event that also raised funds for such a great cause.”

As part of their core ethos, Aico strives to engage with their communities to build sustainable futures and were incredibly proud to participate in these festive events alongside their local community.