CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DRAW TICKETS &
COLLECTION BOXES
CAN BE FOUND
tHROUGHOUT THE TOWN
In 1985 a small group of volunteers set about the task of raising funds to provide Christmas Lighting around the town for the benefit of residents and traders.
Since then some £250,000 has been raised through grants, donations, sponsorship, collections, raffles and many other events to maintain and expand the scheme.
The current replacement value of the display is in excess of £180K
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
DRAW
Draw Tickets are on sale from Committee members and various locations in the town from mid October, including our kiosk in the High Street on Saturday mornings and on Switch-on night when the draw takes place.
ORGANISE
A FUND RAISING EVENT
Each year generous local people organise Coffee Mornings, Quizzes, Bring and Buys and other events to raise funds for the lights for which the Committee is extremely grateful.
Without all this selfless activity the annual display would become a struggle.
Chatteris Morning WI have regularly raised £100+ at their Coffee Mornings, Chatteris WI have raised funds to purchase some very attractive large baubles for the trees. Quiz Nights which have added substantially to the funds have been run regularly in the past by both The George Hotel and The Cross Keys.
Generous donations have been received from collections at Funerals contributing to the purchase of Anniversary Lamps and cross street balls.
Ian Benney of the Nisa Store handing over £800 in 2010 raised through the shops Making A Difference Locally scheme and in 2012 he made the magnificent contribution of £1284.23 which paid for the Christmas Trees.
“George lit up the town for his 80th”
When George Squires was asked what he wanted for his 80th Birthday he opted for donations to support the Chatteris Christmas Lights.
Family members arranged a party for him at the Working Men’s Club and together with friends and old work colleagues they raised £420.
George is a retired skilled bricklayer who only downed tools when he was 78. He and his partner, Shirley Bingham, have 3 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren between them and all of them enjoy the annual lighting display. George’s particular hope, that the money could be used towards a new feature in memory of Shirley’s deceased daughter Angela, was realised in 2012 with a new Angel at the top of New Road.
“Angela, who had Down’s syndrome, used to really love the lights when she visited. We always walked her through the town to see the display so I thought it would be a good idea to use the opportunity to raise funds to support them.” George explained. “I would like to thank everyone who made donations, even people who couldn’t be at the party enclosed money with their cards”
Ladies of the Briar Patch Patchwork Club donated a beautiful quilt to be used to raise funds for the lights. The group was led by Jenny Davies and met in the Vermuyden Room at Chatteris Library.
The quilt was the result of a group project for members taking part to create 2 x 12″ squares and then join them all up to produce the final article. The quilt was the main prize in a draw held at the 2011 Chatteris Historic Festival together with other crafts and homemade items.
Wonderful fundraising by Bridget Stevenson opening her garden resulted in a donations over 2 years of over £270
CALENDARS – In 2009, regulars at the Honest John ‘Bared All’ to pose for pictures featured in an 18 month Calendar to raise funds for the lights. Local freelance photographer Rob Morris donated his time and photographic skills to the project. In April 2010 the Honest John handed over a cheque for the fabulous amount of £1825 from all their fund-raising efforts!!!
Volunteers and Donors are also needed so, to be part of that support, contact us now to see how you can help.
Say Hello To Us & Find Out More
CHATTERIS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Donations
The Committee are grateful to Chatteris Town Council who have awarded grants each year towards the annual staging of the lights and the Switch-on. However, every year there is still a lot of money needed to pay for the maintenance, replacement of bulbs and equipment, decorations and trees, and for upgrading of major features.
DONATE DIRECTLY - By bank transfer or payment into any branch of Barclays Bank.
Account Name: Chatteris Xmas Lighting Fund
Account Type: Business
Sort Code: 20-43-63
Account Number: 90387738
Please let us know and we will acknowledge your donation - thank you.
OR cheques made payable to 'Chatteris Christmas Lights' can be sent to:
The Treasurer, Chatteris Christmas Lights, 24 Wesley Drive, Chatteris, PE16 6DQ
Recently we have sold Personalised Baubles to hang from the Bandstand Gardens Tree through a Just Giving Page which can also be used for Donations.
The lights have been a great success story from the outset, and with well deserved support from the community, will continue to be so. Volunteers, Donors and Fund Raisers are always needed so, to be part of that support, Click on the button below.
You can help by putting Donations into the Collection Boxes:
Counter-top Collection Boxes are available in Chatteris from early October and throughout the Festive Season for people to make donations. We thank you for your generosity. We would like to thank the following for helping as collecting points in 2025/26:
Boswell's Bakers, Brian's, Brown's, BUSTER'S EMPORIUM, CHATTERIS GARAGE, Conservative Club, Cross Keys, George Hotel, Green Welly Garden Centre, HAIR ON THE PARK, JP's snooker centre, London Road Stores, Nana's, Nisa, Old Bakery Tearoom, Petrou Brothers, PET SHOP, Post Office, Rumble's, Sandi & Sam's, seasons garden centre, The SPORTSMAN, tranquility, Working Men's Club.
BUCKET COLLECTION - Event Guides carry buckets on Switch-On night - please give generously
£5 to £20 will buy 1 lamp!!!!!
SPONSOR ONE OF THE LARGE TREES - 2 Large Christmas trees form a major part of the display in the Churchyard and Market Hill Gardens
£1000 will buy the Churchyard Tree
The Executive Committee for 2025/26
CHRIS SAVILL
CHAIRMAN
Tel: 07528 596281
JEM FINCH
VICE CHAIRMAN
RICHARD LENEY
CAMPAIGN MANAGER
MATTHEW RHONE
SECRETARY
SIMON WILSON
PUBLICITY/MEDIA COORDINATOR
REG TIBBITTS
TREASURER
Tel: 07768 173289
MEL SHARPE
FUNDRAISING CO-ORDINATOR
Proud to be associated with CHATTERIS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. Copyright 2026.
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