Waterside Christmas Fire Engine

01/03/2026

Drum roll please......

Your incredible generousity in our 2025 festive collection means we raised a wonderful £9,629.50 for local good causes.

A huge thank you to our treasurer who has been busy contacting and arranging the donations with the local good causes. We are pleased to confirm that the following benefited from our 2025 season.

Honeypot House
Hythe Sea Scouts
Scarf New Forest
Solent Rescue
St. John's Church Hythe
All Animal Rescue
The Handy Trust
Friends of Hythe Primary School
New Forest Outreach
Waterside Foodbank
Families Matter
Noadswood Flexible Learning
Warren Copse and Holbury Manor Conservation Group
New Forest Guide Dogs

Thank you everyone who donated! Can we hit that magical £10,000 amount this year?

07/02/2026

Remember, you can help maintain the fire engine and even have a chance to win a prize by participating in the New Forest Community Lottery.

https://www.newforestcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/waterside-christmas-fire-engine?utm_campaign=citybreak26&utm_source=cause-admin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Hyperlink

07/02/2026

We extend our sincere appreciation to Doreen Longman and her line dancing and Zumba classes for their generous donation of £500 towards the upkeep and maintenance of the Waterside Christmas Fire Engine. This contribution marks an excellent beginning as we aim to raise £3,000 annually to ensure the fire engine remains operational, enabling Santa’s visits across the Waterside each December. To support our fundraising efforts, we will be present at local summer fetes and welcome donations of gifts and bottles for our tombola events. Please message us
or email [email protected]
For those who wish to contribute directly, donations can also be made via our GoFundMe page. https://gofund.me/d320466fd

Photo of Doreen and her line dancing class presenting a donation to Pat

17/01/2026

Today we joined with our volunteers to say a very big thank you for their support for our 2025 season.

To those volunteers who couldn’t join us, you were missed.

Stayed tuned… in the next couple of weeks we will release the total raised over Christmas 🚒

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas from everyone at the Waterside Christmas Fire Engine 🚒

23/12/2025

2025…..That’s a wrap!

Well what a season it’s been! It takes a community to run a fire engine, so we have a few people we need to thank.

Firstly we are helped by many local businesses throughout the year but over the festive season we must give particular thanks to West Cliff Hall Care Home - Hartford Care who very kindly allow us to park the engine there. We also must thank ExxonMobil Fawley who once again provided selection boxes for us to distribute as well as providing a hamper for our tombola.

We also need to thank our owner and the fire engine committee. Running the group all year round and completing the admin and servicing that goes on behind the scenes, assisted by our art group and engineers group.

Our biggest thanks must go to our incredible team of volunteers. Over 100 local people have joined us this year in taking the engine out for events and around the roads. Without this wonderful team of people the Waterside Christmas Fire Engine simply wouldn’t exist!

Finally we must thank you, the Waterside community, our treasurer is still busy counting but you’ve once again given generously. We will share the final amount collected in the New Year along with the good causes selected.

If you didn’t manage to donate there is still time you can donate online here;
https://gofund.me/c3d3fb0c1

From all of us at the Waterside Christmas Fire Engine, have a very Merry Christmas. 🚒

23/12/2025

Tonight is your last change to see us this year! 🚒

We will be at the Eyeworth Walk Christmas Light Display from 5pm to 6:30pm. Do pop along and say hello to our lovely elves as well as have a look at the incredible light display.

If you do visit Eyeworth please park with consideration to the residents or why not take a walk over and enjoy the other decorated houses in our community along the way.

Eyeworth Walk Christmas Lights Facebook Group-https://www.facebook.com/groups/212913996313770/

22/12/2025

🚒 Dibden Purlieu (Part 3) 🚒

Tonight we will cover Dibden Purlieu (Part 3). As last year, we don't let you know where we start and end or the direction of travel. If you live in this area just listen out for us!

We aim to start our route at 5:30pm and hope to finish around 8pm but this sometimes over runs.

Route is subject to change. 🎅

This the approximate route that the Waterside Fire Engine expects to cover on this route. While we will try and cover all of this there are times when the Fire Engine can't get access to a particular road which may cause us to change the route last minute. Remember we do not let you know the directi...

21/12/2025

🚒 Holbury (Part 3) 🚒

Tonight we will cover Holbury (Part 3). As last year, we don't let you know where we start and end or the direction of travel. If you live in this area just listen out for us!

We aim to start our route at 5:30pm and hope to finish around 8pm but this sometimes over runs.

Route is subject to change. 🎅

This the approximate route that the Waterside Fire Engine expects to cover on this route. While we will try and cover all of this there are times when the Fire Engine can't get access to a particular road which may cause us to change the route last minute. Remember we do not let you know the directi...

20/12/2025

🚒 Netley View & Butts Ash🚒

Tonight we will cover Netley View & Butts Ash. As last year, we don't let you know where we start and end or the direction of travel. If you live in this area just listen out for us!

We aim to start our route at 5:30pm and hope to finish around 8pm but this sometimes over runs.

Route is subject to change. 🎅

This the approximate route that the Waterside Fire Engine expects to cover on this route. While we will try and cover all of this there are times when the Fire Engine can't get access to a particular road which may cause us to change the route last minute. Remember we do not let you know the directi...

19/12/2025

🚒 Holbury and Cadland (Part 1) 🚒

Tonight we will cover Holbury and Cadland (Part 1). As last year, we don't let you know where we start and end or the direction of travel. If you live in this area just listen out for us!

We aim to start our route at 5:30pm and hope to finish around 8pm but this sometimes over runs.

Route is subject to change. 🎅

This the approximate route that the Waterside Fire Engine expects to cover on this route. While we will try and cover all of this there are times when the Fire Engine can't get access to a particular road which may cause us to change the route last minute. Remember we do not let you know the directi...