Paralympic gold medallist Josef Craig kicking off charitable weekend for Lakeside Inn

South Tyneside’s Paralympic gold medallist Josef Craig will be at the Lakeside Inn on Saturday as the pub kicks off a charity drive weekend with a Christmas market in aid of local charity Hebburn Helps.

The Paralympian, who won gold at London 2012 in the men’s 400m freestyle swimming event, will be opening the Christmas market, which will feature over 50 festive stalls.

Money raised from the event will go to local charity Hebburn Helps, who are a community foodbank and crisis response team, helping local families.

Speaking about his involvement, Josef said: “I’ve lived in South Tyneside my whole life and grew up here, it’s a tight knit community and I’m very proud to be a part of it.

“Hebburn Helps does loads of good work for people in the area and the money being raised for them is a fantastic cause and I’m very privileged to be involved.”

A range of stalls will be available at the market to get you in the Christmas spirit, including trees, decorations and locally made gifts, with Santa Claus also there, taking pictures with children excitedly waiting for the big day.

One day later, The Lakeside are teaming up with the Greyhound Inn for a ‘Santa Crusade’, walking from one pub to the other dressed in Santa’s red and white outfit to continue to raise money for Hebburn Helps.

The Lakeside Inn’s Christmas Market is on Saturday December 7 from 10am-4pm and the Santa Crusade will begin at the Greyhound Inn from 4pm the next day.