ST HELENS Council is backing Willowbrook Hospice to encourage residents to light up the town this Christmas - and spread some festive cheer to help the hospice.

With public events unable to take place this year due to the effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, residents are being asked to support Willowbrook’s latest project – "decorate and donate".

This campaign asks residents and businesses to decorate their homes and premises with lights and decorations, making a donation to the hospice if they can.

The project comes on the back of the recent successful St Helens Scarecrow Festival, started by Eccleston resident Mandy Fieldhouse, which took place around Hallowe'en.

More than 850 scarecrows were created, raising £23,211 for Willowbrook, which has been hit hard financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

As with the scarecrow event, your Star - which kicked off the campaign calling for support for Willowbrook earlier in the autumn - will highlight many of the best creations on our website and newspaper.

As part of the project, Willowbrook Hospice corporate director, Alun Owen, will join the Mayor of St Helens, Paul McQuade, in switching on the Christmas lights in St Helens town centre.

There will be pre-recorded performances from schools and singers going out on the council’s and Willowbrook’s social media channels at 7pm on Friday, December 4 for residents to watch from the comfort of their own home.

Christmas lights will also be switched on in all wards across the borough.

St Helens Borough Council Leader David Baines said: “Willowbrook Hospice is such an important charity, providing end of life care to so many.

"Like many charities and organisations, Willowbrook is unfortunately bearing the brunt financially as a result of coronavirus and we can’t sit back and see that happen.

“That’s why it gives me great pleasure to team up with this worthy cause to help raise some much-needed funds for a charity that means to so much to the people of St Helens and surrounding areas.”

Councillor Anthony Burns, cabinet member for public health, leisure, libraries and Heritage added: “I think we’re all preparing ourselves for a different Christmas this year – but given everything COVID-19 has thrown at us – we need something to be cheerful about, and with the festive season upon us, the decorate and donate project will achieve just that.

“We all saw the huge lift the recent St Helens Scarecrow Festival brought to our borough, with so many households and communities taking part, so we hope that as a community, we can light up our borough and lift people's spirits after what has been a very challenging year for everyone.”

Willowbrook Hospice corporate director, Alun Owen, said: “Over the last few months, everyone at Willowbrook has been overwhelmed by the way our community has supported each other as we all deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We hope the decorate to donate initiative gives a much-needed lift that we could all do with this year.

"Winter is the time that many cultures celebrate with festivals of light, so we hope as many people as possible join us in lighting up St Helens and send that feeling of gloom far away.”

To make a donation to Willowbrook, visit justgiving.com/campaign/donateanddecorate