'Hope and light' Christmas project needs your help

East Lindsey District Council have announced details of their plans to bring some Christmas cheer to four of the districts market towns this December.

The District Council is working with Different Light Collective, the organisation behind Spilsby Light Night, to deliver Hope and Light – a unique community project that will see special light projections take place in Alford, Horncastle, Louth and Spilsby.

In early December a projector will be placed in each town opposite a building that will act as an outdoor screen for a short film comprised of artwork designed by members of the community.

The Hope and Light team have released templates which members of the community are encouraged to design, decorate and return, so they can be included in the projections which will run each night until New Year’s Eve.

Each town has its own unique themed template, but residents can complete as many as they want before the deadline of November 6, at which point all the designs will be animated and turned into the short films that will be projected in each town.

Hope and Light will also see an empty shop front in each town transformed with a festive backdrop and digital display, which will show all the designs submitted by the local community. In December, residents will also be encouraged to share their hopes and wishes for the coming year by completing a special weatherproof tag and affixing it to a display in the town centre; more details on where to get the tags will be shared soon.

Coun Adam Grist, Portfolio Holder for Market Towns and Rural Economy, said: “I’m delighted to be able to work with the Different Light Collective to bring this wonderful project to our district.

"We realise that Christmas will be a bit different this year, and with traditional Christmas markets not taking place, we want to give our communities something they can really get behind and be a part of. Hope and Light will do just that, and I can’t wait to see our residents getting involved and helping bring some festive cheer to our towns.”

Templates are available online at www.different-light.co.uk and will also be made available in a number of shops and community venues in each town; look out for the poster. Completed templates need to be returned to [email protected] or via post to Different Light Collective, c/o Spilsby Sessions House, Church Street, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 5DY.

Hope and Light is part of East Lindsey District Council’s Vital and Viable project, which aims to work with local communities in Alford, Horncastle, Louth and Spilsby to protect, promote and preserve the towns by keeping them thriving, clean centres which are attractive places to live, work and visit.

More information on the Vital and Viable project can be found online at www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/VitalAndViable