Summer appeal for Christmas lights

Wednesday 15 August 2018

Organisers of the Christmas Lights Appeal are emphasising that they need to raise £30,000 each year just to pay for the erection and dismantling of the lights - not for new lights.

The charity has raised £17,000 so far this year and is set to get a boost from a restaurant charity day in September. La Perla have pledged to donate all proceeds from their takings on 17 September to the appeal, and fundraisers are asking other businesses in Town to think about doing something similar.

Jax Robin, Chairperson of the Christmas Lights Charity, said: "We are delighted that La Perla Restaurant are donating their takings for the day. They see the benefit that the lights bring to town and how people come into St Peter Port because of the lights and atmosphere and thus they saw this a way of giving something back."

Ms Robin was keen to emphasise that the appeal each year was not for new lights: "We need £30,000 each year just to put up and take down the lights, the rent, insurance and testing which takes place each year. Luckily we had a surplus from 2017 that we have been able to use to sort out repairs from storm damage and buy a few new lights required."

Pictured: Jax Robin during a fundraising event.

In addition to the £17,000 raised so far this year, they still need £13,000 by October in order to ensure the lights go up. Ms Robin said what they ideally needed was other hospitality venues in Town to come on board like La Perla, or for other businesses "to have a dress down day or something similar".

The lights start going up on 1 October and it takes six weeks from start to finish before the switch on around 1 December, if the money is not raised before then, they cannot start putting them up. 

"Without them can you imagine how dead the High Street would be? Retailers are already suffering so without the atmosphere at Town they would suffer more with no incentive to shoppers to go to St Peter Port."

90% of the money raised each year is done by the community of Guernsey, which Ms Robin says proves they want the lights.

To donate to the appeal go to www.christmaslights.gg or visit their Facebook page and press donate.