DESERVING children who were going to miss out on a Christmas treat are you going to be taken on a special trip to find Santa.

Over 30 children from the Flower Estate in Farnworth will be taken on the trip on December 11.

The opportunity came about after The Bolton News ran an article about the cancelled annual children’s Christmas party organised by the Flower Estate Resident’s Association.

This year’s event is not able to go ahead because Harper Green Leisure Centre, where the party was held, has closed for refurbishment.

However, a former Bolton resident has stepped up to offer some of the children on the estate a Christmas treat.

David Lee, who runs children’s charity A Day of Sunshine, based in Lytham St Anne’s, saw the original article in the paper and wanted to help.

He explained: “We read the story and we are originally from Bolton and thought that it was a deserving cause.

“It is such a shame to have disappointed children, when they are looking forward to something and then it’s snatched away it’s not fair so we thought we could offer some seats for them on the plane.”

For the past five years the charity has been running a search for Santa event where children are taken to Manchester Airport where they get to meet Disney characters before they board a chartered plane where they fly around for an hour searching for Santa.

Mr Lee said: “We have been doing it for the past five years and every year we say it is the last year, and then we see the look on the children’s faces and we think how can we possibly stop.”

The 189 seater Jet2 plane will be filled with deserving children and their guardians.

Pat Duckworth, from the Flower Estate Resident’s Association, said she had been left speechless by the generosity of people since the announcement that the party could not go ahead.

She said: “We have gone through the people on the estate who we believe are eligible for this. We have selected people who have had a bad year or disabled children.

“I don’t know what to say to be honest, I am overwhelmed. We had to pay to transport them to the airport but we have gone through community transport and they have really helped us.

“All the children who have been chosen are very deserving of a treat this Christmas. It is great.”