A group of special needs youngters flew to Lapland at the weekend to meet Santa in his Arctic Circle grotto. Katie Relton went with them to witness their sheer delight

TEMPERATURES may have plunged as low as minus 32 but it was all part of an amazing Christmas gift to warm the hearts of ten North-East youngsters.

Their dreams were well and truly fulfilled when the group of special needs youngsters journeyed to the Arctic Circle to meet the real Santa Claus.

The students, accompanied by five carers from Beaumont Hill Youth Club and School, in Darlington, also took part in husky rides and reindeer rides during their day trip to Lapland on Saturday.

But the highlight of the day was a visit to Santa's grotto following a trip on a snowmobile through the woods near the town of Rovaniemi.

Meeting Father Christmas brought the youngsters, aged between 12 and 17, to life. Their faces all lit up and a couple of the children who had been quite shy beforehand could not wait to sit with Father Christmas to tell him what they wanted.

Mick Moat, who along with Eileen Hornby, helped organise the trip, said it was small things like that which helped to make the day.

He said: "It is an absolutely magical experience and I feel very privileged to go along with the children.

"Just watching them with Santa and seeing their faces all illuminated is very emotional. It really does bring a tear to your eye when you see how they react."

Despite the freezing temperatures, none of the children complained and each one of them brought back a special memory unique to them. Mr Moat said: "It is an experience which they talk about for the next 12 months or so and to be able to give them that is great."

The trip is financed by the Darlington and District Youth and Community Association which raises the £6,400 needed through various fundraising activities. Fundraising for next year's trip has already started.

Mr Moat said: "We need all the help we can get with financial assistance, you really can't explain how important the day is to the youngsters."

The group is also looking for help in getting the youngsters kitted out in thermal gloves.

The special needs students will not be the only ones to meet Santa this year. Emma Doree, eight, from Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, who has juvenile arthritis, will fly to Lapland for a special BBC programme.

Along with Gaby Roslin, Emma and her family will visit Santa as part of Rolf's Merry Christmas to be shown on BBC 1 on Christmas Day.

Emma was nominated for the trip by Arthritis Care.

To help fund a Lapland trip for a youngster with special needs or to donate thermal gloves please call Mick Moat, on 07768 0063334