Return of Fakenham Christmas tree festival

A mixture of bad weather over the weekend meant the light switch-on outside in the town was postponed, and the tree festival had fewer visitors than usual on Saturday.

A delivery delay had also meant that the Christmas trees that are donated every year by Fakenham Garden Centre arrived later than usual.

Alison Harding, part of the organising team, said: "We were a bit down to the wire as the garden centre had let us know there was a problem with delivery schedules.

"The trees arrived Wednesday afternoon instead of Monday morning. The charity volunteers were amazing."

With the pressure of these unexpected events the festival will still see thousands of visitors coming though the doors.

Alison said: "We have six prayer trees up in the sanctuary with cut out stars that visitors can write a prayer on.

"We literally have hundreds that are then offered in a service."

The festival is free entry and free to take part in for the charities, some years have seen up to 50 taking part.

Funds raised can be in excess of £20,000, with charity buckets placed underneath each tree which are vital funds for the church and the charities which are local, national and personal.

Alison said: "The charities provide volunteers to help at the festival though they were down on numbers as some were vulnerable.

"Fakenham infant and junior schools, messy church and personal charity Ellie's Love were all involved this year."

Ellie's Love is a Fakenham charity supporting local people with cystic fibrosis, named in memory of Ellie Loades, who died aged 16. It was set up in her memory by her parents Nick and Elaine Loades.

The Christmas tree festival is on until Thursday.