STAFF and regulars at a Notts pub raised more than £10,000 to enable seriously-ill children to visit Santa in Lapland.

The Nags Head in Woodborough held events including quiz nights, cycle rides and golf days to raise a total of £10,159.

The money will be handed to Nottingham-based When You Wish Upon A Star, which grants wishes for ill children.

It is the latest in a long line of charities to benefit from the pub, which has donated £62,056 since 1993.

Speaking about the latest fundraising efforts, landlord Ken Kelly said: "It's just fantastic that kids can go away for a day or so and forget about everything else and have fun.

"We were shown a DVD of what they do on the day and the look on the kiddies' faces is reward enough."

The pub chooses a different good cause each year.

Last year, the pub raised £8,000 towards the Post's Maggie's campaign – the £3 million cancer care centre in the grounds of the City Hospital, which opened last week.

Other lucky recipients include the children's department at the City Hospital, Hayward House Hospice, Nottinghamshire Hospice, Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, and Ash Lea Special School in Cotgrave.

The fundraising was started by a customer called Peter Freeman, who has a disabled son, together with another man called Roy Linnington, who has since died from cancer.

Together they ran a pub quiz every Tuesday to raise money for a disabled charity.

"Roy passed away just before Michelle and I took over the Nags Head," said Mr Kelly, who took on the pub with his wife eight years ago. "He had cancer and the quiz team carried on with raising money for Hayward House."

Money has been raised in a variety of ways, including a bike ride to Skegness and back, a sponsored half-marathon, family fun days, quiz nights and golf days.

Maggie Falconer, East Midlands community fundraiser for When You Wish Upon A Star, said: "It's an amazing amount of funds raised. As a non-Government funded charity we rely totally on funds raised from our supporters.

"We could not organise this trip without their support.

"We are so grateful to the Nags Head for their support and would like to say a huge thank-you to Ken and Michelle and all their customers, family and friends."

Mr Kelly added: "I just want to say a big thank you to everybody who is involved and helped us raise it in any small way. It's a fantastic amount given the current economic climate. It's fantastic."

It costs £70,000 to take 100 youngsters to see Father Christmas in Lapland each December.

Other wishes the charity has granted have included meeting celebrities, swimming with dolphins in Florida, and even becoming a Butlin's Redcoat.