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A Fundraising campaign to pay for this year’s Christmas lights in Town has reached £20,000. The new total follows a £1,500 donation from Butterfield.
Jacquie Robin, chair of the Christmas Lights Committee, said the injection to the fund was a huge boost.
‘I am absolutely thrilled that Butterfield is able to help us in this. The lights cost around £25,000 each year just to erect and take down, be checked and then stored until the following year. We have been lucky in having a few St Peter Port retailers who have made contributions towards these costs each year, but these contributions dwindled over the last two to three years due to ever-tightening budgets.
‘We have also found that very few of the UK chains will contribute to the cost of the Christmas lights, even though they want them up, as they say that in the UK it is done by the councils, covered by the rates,’ she said.
‘This donation really helps the island get in the festival spirit and for us to start the New Year in a great position, and I cannot thank Butterfield enough for their help.’
Richard Saunders, managing director, Butterfield Bank (Guernsey) Limited, said: ‘At Butterfield we feel it is important to support local traditions and events in the communities in which we operate, and we thought it would be disappointing for the island if the Christmas lights display were to be impacted this year by a lack of funding. We are very pleased to be able to help light up St Peter Port this Christmas.’
This year’s Christmas lights were switched on by Father Christmas on Saturday, and will add festive atmosphere to St Peter Port for late night shopping on 8, 15 and 22 December.
Islanders also have the chance this year to take a tour of the Christmas lights on board Le Petit Train, operating from the Albert Pier at 6pm on Mondays Tuesday and Wednesdays until 21 December.
