Charity tractor run inspired by toddler returns

Reece was six-months-old when he underwent an eight-hour operation to repair his cleft lip

A Christmas tractor run for charity will return for its second year on Saturday.

Ully Dale decided to set up the event after her two-year-old grandson, Reece, from Meon Vale, Statford-upon-Avon, was born with a cleft lip and affected palette.

More than 50 tractors decorated with Christmas lights will travel around Stratford and surrounding villages in support of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA).

Mrs Dale said she was compelled to do something to raise money and awareness, after she witnessed the difficulties Reece continues to face.

The two-year-old regularly spends time at Birmingham Children's Hospital and has been supported by CLAPA since the day he was born, with charity providing his first two bottles and teats.

Reece had his first operation, which lasted eight hours, when he was six-months-old and still has many more to come.

Mrs Dale said the charity continues to support families through their "journey".

Clefts occur when separate areas of the face do not join together properly when a baby is developing in the womb. The congenital abnormality affects about 1,200 babies born in the UK each year.

The event will also raise money for prostate cancer after a family member passed away from the disease in 2023.

Mrs Dale said she hopes the run will bring some festive cheer, as well as raising awareness and highlighting the charities they are supporting.

"It is a beautiful sight to see and it kicks off Christmas," she added.

The run, which raised £4,000 in its first year, gets underway in Lower Quinton at 17:00 GMT.