Christmas Festival in Launceston Supports Community Needs

An annual Christmas event is providing assistance to individuals in need within a Cornish community. The yearly Christmas tree festival, hosted at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Launceston, generates thousands of pounds annually. Organisers stated that these funds are directed towards the Launceston Food Bank and also cover the church’s heating expenses, allowing it to function as a warm space during the cold winter months. The festival is scheduled to run until Friday. Sharron Wormeld, one of the organisers, reported that this year’s annual festival features a record 93 trees and is anticipated to raise more than £3,000. She clarified that the money would be utilised to heat the church, offering warm shelter to those who require it, while additional funds would be allocated to support the food bank. Mrs Wormeld noted that hundreds of people have visited the display since its opening earlier in December. “People come in and just go ‘wow’ because it’s such a beautiful, glittering display of lights,” she said. She added, “They walk around and appreciate the creativity and hard work that has gone into each of the trees.” Rev Mary Williamson shared that she spent many hours at the festival to offer support to visitors as they viewed a display capable of evoking emotion. She commented: “Christmas can be a rather difficult time.” She continued, “There is a prayer tree but some people have also put labels on trees for lost loved ones who they want to be remembered in a special way.” Alexander Darracott, a regular attendee of the festival, expressed his enjoyment of the display’s peacefulness. “The trees are all amazing in their own way, they are all unique,” he said. “It’s not just Christmas trees, it’s a whole diversity of different kinds of trees, every one gives out a certain message and it gives out a certain feeling.” He concluded, “It really is an amazing experience coming here every year.” The trees on exhibition represent various schools, businesses, and community groups located in Launceston. These include a tree constructed from melted vinyl records and another adorned with bathroom accessories, such as tiny toilet rolls. One tree serves as a home for a family of felt mice, and another aids viewers in learning Christmas words in Cornish. Other trees are covered with handwritten tags, bearing messages for lost relatives and pets who are missed during the Christmas period. For updates, follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available for review.