Charity pumpkin hunt in Rochester a success despite rain

The gloomy weather could not stop the 400 children that have signed up for the Pumpkin Hunt in Rochester organised by Demelza.

With the event, the charity raised money for children with serious or terminal conditions. 

Rochester High Street was filled with excited witches, zombies, wizards and skeletons for most of the day.

The children aged between four and eleven got a passport in which they needed to collect stamps from around the shops on High Street. In each shop, they were also rewarded a sweet treat or a sticker.

Beth Murrell, the organiser of the event, said they worked with a lot of shops together, such as an estate agent, both sweet shops, a hairdresser and coffee shops.

“It’s good for the shops to come in and support them and it also means that they [the families] come to a High Street that they might have not necessarily come to. So it’s a great place for them to come, raise money, have a bit of fun. 

“It’s also a safe place to trick or treat, rather than doing it late at night,” she said.

At the end of the day, the most creative costumes were rewarded too.

Charging each participant £5 and encouraging more people to join the charity at the scene, there was a significant contribution made.