Santa Ste's a chart star! The Wearside Father Christmas whose single is a festive hit

Stephen Stonehouse, who is known to hundreds of youngsters, hoped for a hit with his version of Do You Hear What I Hear.

Ste’s in the charts

He was inspired by heart transplant recipient Beatrix Archbold - whose mum Cheryl is from Roker - to go into song.

And his decision has paid off as Stephen told us today: “It entered the charts at number 22.”

Ste’s journey began the first time he met Beatrix, a healthy baby girl, during a Christmas event at a community centre.

A year later, he found himself holding Beatrix again but this time in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where she was kept alive by a mechanical Berlin Heart.

The memory stayed with Ste ever since

The powerful memory of feeling the mechanical heartbeat against his leg has stayed with him ever since.

Beatrix lived in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for a year and was attached to tubes which acted as her ventricles.

In the years that followed his meeting with Beatrix, Santa Ste’s connection to the Freeman Hospital grew.

Raising money for three wonderful causes

He joined Calli Tully, founder of the Callis Heart Campaign, to visit children spending Christmas in the hospital.

The experience reinforced his commitment to supporting families and children in need.

He is raising money for Bea’s 500 Crew, Calli’s Heart Campaign and the Sunderland-based Red Sky Foundation which improves the lives of people needing cardiac care.

It’s a personal mission for Santa Ste this year

This year, Santa Ste’s mission became even more personal. In July, his twin granddaughters Lily-Rose and Belle were born two months early.

While Lily-Rose thrived, Belle faced severe heart complications, requiring open-heart surgery at just a few months old.

Belle will spend her first Christmas in the Freeman Hospital this year and Ste said: "I now know first hand the immense worry families face when their precious child’s life is in the hands of the incredible team at the Freeman Hospital.

‘I will continue to do everything I can to support these amazing charities’

"From day one, my granddaughters received support from the Red Sky Foundation, Calli’s Heart Campaign, and Bea’s 500 Crew.

The limited edition CD also includes a festive rendition of "It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas" and a bonus audio story, called "Santa Ste & The Baby Dragon".

The single is also available digitally on all platforms.

All proceeds from the single will go directly to the Red Sky Foundation, supporting vital heart care initiatives, as well as the Callis Heart Campaign and Bea’s 500 Club, two charities dedicated to bringing joy and relief to families with children facing serious heart conditions.

The single is available through Beyond Vinyl and all digital platforms .

Every purchase or stream directly contributes to lifechanging support for children and families facing unimaginable challenges.