Members of a car club are proving their stereotype wrong as they delivered presents and Christmas cheer to children in hospital.

A dozen people of the Vauxhall VXR owners' club spent Saturday visiting ill children on the wards of Pembury, Maidstone and Darent Valley hospital in Dartford, handing out presents dressed as Santa, elves and the Grinch.

It is an event that has been part of the car club's calendar for many years with the handout sometimes being done on Easter or Halloween. This year was the first time they have been able to do it since covid hindered their efforts in 2019.

Charlotte Divall from Chevening Road in Sevenoaks has been a member of the club since 2011 and has been involved in the present handouts since she joined.

She said: "The biggest reward is the smile when they get to see Santa.

"Seeing their faces light up when they open their presents is incredible."

The VXR owner's club are all too aware of the reputation their chosen car has with the hot-hatch being seen as a car popular with 'boy-racers' but Charlotte feels these handouts change people's minds.

She said: "The opinions we'd get when going round they'd say things like 'oh we thought those cars would just go around car parks making noise'. But we're showing that isn't the case.
"Our club currently has 18,600 members and it really is a family - one of our members even came from Somerset to help on the weekend.

"We want to do something to benefit others."

The group handed out the equivalent of £2,500 in gifts to around 50 children between the ages of six-days-old to 16-years-old.

Presents included arts and crafts equipment, action figures and chocolate - one member of the club had even donated 25 individual Lego sets.

Jimmy Kelynack was one child visited by the group. He was taken to Darent Valley Hospital due to complications with his hypoglycaemia - a condition which affects his blood sugar level and compromises his immune system.

The five-year-old was scheduled to be visited by Santa at his home in Nurstead Avenue, Longfield near Dartford on the day he was admitted.

Mother Jazmine said: "Jimmy was so ill he hadn't spoken for the two days he was there but when he saw Santa and the Grinch, which is his favourite Christmas film, he perked up and began talking."

Jimmy was discharged from hospital yesterday and Jazmine feels the effort made by the car club played a big part in Jimmy's recovery.

She continued: "The visit definitely helped. I think even one present would've helped a lot but he was most thrilled seeing Santa and the Grinch - they sat with him for 10 minutes while he opened his presents.

"A massive thank you goes out to them. What they did was incredible."

A spokesman of the VXR owners' club said: "We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that supported with donations - thay had a total value in excess of £2,500.

"It was an absolute pleasure to be welcomed in to Pembury, Maidstone and Darent Valley Hospital.

"The Grinch on the day was absolutely great in the form of both Daniel Heffernan and Darren Smith, whom were both determined to steal Christmas presents but as a character brought many a smile."