Champion Your Story: From a Fresh Start to Turbo Santa

In March 2023, I found myself standing at Flemingate with my arm in a sling. I was just coming o

ut the other side of a major cancer scare, ready to close the door on a tough chapter. The unwavering support of my wife and children had been my anchor, but as the dust settled, I was looking for a fresh start. I needed a way to channel my renewed energy into something entirely positive. That is when I first crossed paths with the guys from the Beverley Round Table.

I went along to that first meeting not entirely knowing what to expect. Initially, it was the sheer fun of the socials that drew me in. Between coast-to-coast kayaking and axe throwing, it was exactly the kind of outlet I needed. At that point, the community fundraising aspect wasn't even on my radar; I was just enjoying the camaraderie. It wasn’t until my first Christmas period with Table, seeing the incredible impact other chapters across the country were making with their Santa Sleighs, that the penny finally dropped.

I realised that Beverley Round Table didn't actually have a signature community project of its own. Over time, as I stepped into the roles of Vice Chairman and then Chairman, and we successfully worked on increasing our membership numbers, the seed of an idea began to take root. I started slowly building the case for our very own Santa Sleigh. We knew we needed to be inventive. The streets of Beverley can be famously narrow, and today's kids are acutely aware of the environment.

I pitched a slightly wild idea: what if we used an all-electric tuk-tuk? It would be the perfect, quirky hook that families would instantly remember. More importantly, we could design it to be completely modular, allowing us to adapt it for various other charity events year-round. I managed to source an electric tuk-tuk that fit our price range and pitched the concept to the Table. They backed the vision completely, and from that moment, it became a true team effort. Identifying the appeal and tracking down the vehicle was just the spark; turning it into a working sleigh has become a massive, hands-on project that I am proud to be driving forward side-by-side with the hard work and diverse skills of the rest of the guys.

While pouring my energy into the physical build alongside the boys, I also focused on how to bring the community experience into the digital age. I had seen other Round Tables using third-party apps like Glympse to track their sleighs, but with those platforms feeling feature-lacking and increasingly monetised, I had a simple thought:

I could do this better myself.

By day, I am a data analyst and team leader for our local authority's children’s services. My professional world revolves around SQL, data processing, and dashboards. While I already had a solid foundational understanding of code, I couldn't have built a massive new platform without leaning on AI.

Blending my technical background with a healthy dose of AI-assisted "vibe coding," I started building what eventually became Turbo Santa in September 2025. Operating entirely solo, I evolved what began as a basic tracker into a custom digital platform focused entirely on the fun stuff. We now have a live GPX tracker so families all over Beverley can watch our electric tuk-tuk’s route in real-time, alongside a Magic Mailbox for kids, a digital memory book, and dedicated space for local sponsorship. But as the platform grew, I realised it shouldn't be limited to just us. I built Turbo Santa to be a completely universal system that any Round Table can plug into and use- my gift back to the Round Table family. While some Tables used an earlier version of Turbo Santa last year, it is this year in 2026 that most will truly embark on using it. Pushing past my usual data scope and getting a working app off the ground myself gave me an incredible sense of achievement and a much deeper understanding of software logic.

Looking back at that guy in the sling at Flemingate, I could never have imagined where this journey would lead.

Right now, we are in the thick of the physical build together, and the anticipation for this coming December is huge. As a group, we are taking a wild idea, backing it with new technology, and building what we hope will become a modern local tradition. Round Table has given me the canvas to test my limits and start a profoundly positive new chapter. I can't wait for our sleigh's very first run this year, and to finally share that Christmas magic with my own family and the wider community. It proves that taking a leap into the unknown is always worth the effort.

Ben Watts, Beverley Round Table