Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service's (LFRS) animatronic reindeer, Rudolph, has been given a new lease of life by the experts on popular TV show The Repair Shop, as part of an upcoming Christmas episode.

Rudolph, who has been central to children's charity collections organised by volunteers from LFRS for over 75 years, had fallen into disrepair following decades of use. Much of his animatronics, first created in 1979, had ceased to function, and his famous red nose barely glowed.

Due to a lack of funds, and with no local experts to fix him, Rudolph was facing an uncertain future.

Thankfully, requests from Station Manager and longtime Rudolph volunteer Darren Weston to the Repair Shop were answered, and he and his former mentor, retired Station Manager and fellow volunteer Jerry Askham, were invited to The Repair Shop barn with the elderly reindeer in tow.

Darren, 50, who grew up around Rudolph thanks to his Firefighter father, said: "For years it's been a Christmas tradition for Leicestershire Firefighters to volunteer their time in December, going out with Rudolph and his sleigh around the city and local towns to raise money for children's charities.

"As the current Chair of the Rudolph Committee, which organises the collections and distributes the funds, I was very aware that he desperately needed repairing. Thankfully, The Repair Shop team have worked a Christmas miracle, and fixed him up better than he's ever looked before!"

The life-sized reindeer, one of the largest single items ever featured on the show, proved to be quite a challenge for the team at The Repair Shop barn, with more collaborators working to restore Rudolph than on any previous project.

"I've always been a big fan of the show," reflected Jerry, 68, "so when we were struggling to find someone to fix Rudolph, I thought – 'Why not ask The Repair Shop if they can help?' I wrote to them originally, Darren tried again, and they replied earlier this year saying they were interested; I'm so glad they did."

The Rudolph collections raise thousands of pounds for children's charities in Leicestershire each year, with families coming out onto the streets as the reindeer and Fire Service volunteers pass their homes with collection buckets.

The Repair Shop also invited local children to the barn to be among the first to see the newly fixed reindeer as part of the big reveal. Leicester-based charity Wishes 4 Kids organised the trip.

Wishes 4 Kids Charity Manager Gary Lowe said: "We want to thank The Repair Shop team for making us a part of their Christmas Special. This was a magical experience for some of the children we help, who got to see the newly restored Rudolph and were shown around the set of The Repair Shop.

"Rudolph has been a favourite festive sight for families in Leicestershire since before I can remember, and his collections organised by LFRS bring in thousands of pounds for children's charities each year, so we're thrilled he's been restored to new and that we could be part of his ongoing story."

LFRS Chief Fire Officer, Callum Faint, said: "While our Firefighters spend the whole year keeping the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safe, it's a longstanding tradition for them and other Service employees to raise money in their own time in December, through the Rudolph collections, to give to local charities.

"Over the past 30 years alone nearly half a million pounds has been raised and distributed through the Rudolph Fund. We are hugely grateful to The Repair Shop for their very generous work, which will ensure Rudolph's collections can be kept going this Christmas, and for a long time to come."

The show will also feature three celebrated figures this Christmas, with Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren, children's author Julia Donaldson, and comedian Rob Brydon visiting the experts. Each will bring a special treasure in need of restoration, hoping for a festive fix.

The Repair Shop Christmas Special will be broadcast on BBC1 nationwide at 19:30 on Boxing Day (Friday 26 December), and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

Rudolph and his sleigh will be out on the streets of Leicester and Leicestershire from Friday 5th until Tuesday 23rd December. For full details of collection dates, times and locations, please visit our Rudolph page via the link below.

(Photograph courtesy of the Wishes 4 Kids charity)