Andy and Chantelle’s Christmas Tractor

Everyone has heard of the famous Banbury Christmas Tractor Run that RC Baker launched back in 2006, but that isn’t the only tractor run that supports Katharine House every Christmas.

The Christmas Tractor, formally known as the KFS Tractor, has taken part in the Banbury Christmas Tractor Run for many years, but Andy and Chantelle wanted to spread some extra Christmas joy in December 2020 when the nation was locked down during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That was when they came up with an idea to branch out and create their very own mini-Tractor Run before the big event and, since then, have raised over £21,000 for the hospice!

Sharing the joy

After the success of their first year out on the road, in 2021 they realised they could raise vital funds for the hospice while on tour. Andy visited different locations across the Oxfordshire area in a beautifully lit Christmas tractor, playing Christmas tunes and each night would set up camp for a few hours at various locations so that people could enjoy the tractor close up.

During the big Tractor Run, people only get to see the tractors for a fleeting moment, so this was an opportunity for families and children to get really involved, share their stories about the hospice and also make a donation. Andy wasn’t alone when out on the road, Chantelle would come along, plus their family and friends who helped volunteer night after night.

In 2021, the tractor tour raised over £1,600 for Katharine House and, following this success, Andy and Chantelle wanted to make the 2022 run even bigger and decorate the tractor with even more lights! With an extended route, the popularity of the tour was beginning to grow and the tractor even came to the hospice as part of the Christmas lights switch on, which is now a tradition at the hospice. We know it’s Christmas when The Christmas Tractor comes to visit!

It’s such a special part of our Christmas calendar at the hospice, and our patients, their loved ones, plus all the staff and volunteers love to come out and see the beautiful work of art that is The Christmas Tractor. In 2022, the team raised an incredible £2,708 and the buzz around The Christmas Tractor was beginning to grow.

Christmas light show

Andy is busy all year-round collecting lights and planning the decorations for the tractor, and he then spends weeks getting it ready for the tour. He said: “Sometimes I am tangled up in Christmas lights, hanging off a step ladder and covered in duct tape. But when that’s all over and you see the reaction from the public when we are out on the road, it makes it all worthwhile. Whether you are 3 or 93, a Christmas tractor makes everyone smile.”

The ever-expanding tour

In December 2023, Andy and Chantelle had a fantastic run  and raised over £7,000 for Katharine House. They were now pros on how to organise the tour, promote the event and local businesses wanted to start sponsoring the tractor, which helped them to reach their amazing fundraising total. 

Andy went to town that year and it was a record breaker for the number of lights that the tractor had …14,000 of them! The couple were busy being interview on radio and You Tube channels and the tractor won the award for Britain’s Most Festive Tractor by RAGT Seeds UK.

The team at Katharine House were absolutely delighted when The Christmas Tractor announced it would be back in December 2024 and this yearly kindly powered by The Turney Group. With the extra support from the Turney Group, Andy was once more at the wheel and Chantelle was busy in the background organising the route. The team were determined to make it their best year ever and raise over £10,000 … and they did it, raising £10,437 for the hospice.

Chantelle said: “Achieving over £21,000 for Katharine House has been mind blowing! What started out as a fleeting idea to spread some joy during Covid times has blossomed into an amazing memory making machine! Thank you to everyone for their support over the years.”

Check out their plans for 2025!

To find out more about The Christmas Tractor and its plans for 2025, be sure to follow them on Facebook.

Good luck to Andy and Chantelle for their future tours and a BIG thank you for all your hard work, dedication and support.