Spectacular switch-on for Starbeck's Christmas lights

Despite worries about finances, Starbeck is gearing up for a bright Christmas with its big lights switch-on and the launch of its Christmas Fair this weekend.
Starbeck Lights.Starbeck Lights.
Starbeck Lights.

Starbeck Christmas Lights are not put up or funded by Harrogate Borough Council but by donations given by local businesses and members of the public and the hard work and fundraising efforts done by volunteers throughout the year. But all their superb efforts are about to pay off with the Christmas Fair and the lights switch-on this Saturday from 2pm.The event will include a Best Dressed Christmas Fairy and Elf competition, which will also be open to mums and dads.There will be Best Decorated Christmas Cake competition and for children the Best Decorated Gingerbread. Entries for both of these to be in by 12 noon on Saturday please. There will be lots of stalls, balloons, face painting a raffle - plui a rather special guest dressed in red and white.The Christmas Lights themselves on Starbeck High Street will be switched on at 6pm by five-year-old Noah Maguire who has been through so much during his short life we thought he deserves a treat. Sponsorship and support has come from the Starbeck Conservative Club, Starbeck Working Men’s Club, Farrah’s of Harrogate, Starbeck Post Office, Co-op, Mitchells Butchers. Elite Meat, Costa Coffee. Spoilt, Papa Johns, Subway and McColls.But Starbeck Gala Lights Committee have sounded a warning.So bad is the situation with the lack of volunteers that they have had to apologise to Starbeck residents who didn’t receive a flyer or envelope through the door.Things were so bad in October that Starbeck Gala stalwart Terry Edmonson had said the Harrogate’s suburbs gala was under threat, too.Despite being desperately short of volunteer for the Christmas lights appeal, the hard-working committee still managed to deliver more than 1,000 flyers and envelopes in Starbeck. The committee also say they they still have a lot of fundraising to do to get to meet the target to cover the cost of maintaining the lights this year and raising enough funds to guarantee the lights will go up again next year. The risk is that this could still be the last year for Starbeck Lights.Anyone who would like to become a volunteer please message us www.Facebook.com/StarbeckGalaLights. Meetings are held in Starbeck and begin approximatel yone month before any event is due to take place. They do not ask you to attend every meeting, only that volunteers honour commitments after agreeing to help with events.