FOLLOWING a public outcry and an Extra Ordinary meeting, Lymm Parish Council has voted to move the date of this year’s Carols from the Cross back to Christmas Eve, December 24.
The earlier decision to hold Carols on Friday 23rd of December was revisited following a request from several Parish Councillors.
Explaining the decision Parish Council Chairman Cllr Bob Barr said: “The Carols event will only go ahead when the Parish Council demonstrates to Warrington Borough Council and the Emergency Services that it will be held safely.
“This must be in accordance with the Event Management Plan. There must be named and qualified individuals from the Parish Council and the local community, signed up to accept responsibility to fulfil key roles before and during the event. This is necessary because Lymm’s Carols from The Cross has become one of Warrington’s largest public events and safety is paramount.”
Meanwhile, the Events Committee was thanked for its work and it was stressed that the decision to hold the event on the 23rd was correctly and diligently taken on the basis of information available at the time.
Cllr Barr added: “The Parish Council looks forward to welcoming the public to Lymm village centre on Christmas Eve.”
Meanwhile, Jenna Brown, who recently took over as Chair for the May Queen said: “Taking into account the last few years that were tough to endure as a community it was even more important to be able to provide a wholesome, family event for all to enjoy.
“This is what was the driving factor for residents to come together and find a solution to keep the Carols by the Cross on the traditional date of December 24th. While I, and others, fully supported the decision that the Lymm Parish Council made to move the Carols to the 23rd we felt there was a solution to enable the Council to keep the original day of Christmas Eve. The Events Committee for the Council was faced with a massive deficit in volunteer support to continue to run the event safely for the thousands of people that were expected to turn out for the event. “This lead the Council to hire an outside contractor to organise and staff the event. The outside contractor was not able to fulfill the required number of staff on Christmas Eve so the decision was made to move it to the day before. While this was an entirely reasonable solution it did not sit well with many of the residents who attend every year.
“This move was also detrimental to the many restaurants and businesses that had started making plans for the evening based on their respective historical experience. Hospitality would have planned entertainment, food and alcohol orders, and staff scheduling to cover the demand of an additional 3 to 4 thousand visitors in the village over a few short hours. Many restaurants have seen an extraordinary number of cancellations for the 24th, including large parties that have booked out rooms, with very few rebooking for the 23rd. At a time when the hospitality industry is struggling to recover after Covid restrictions, coupled with the staggering rise in the cost of living, this meant an even bigger blow to their continued success.
“After speaking with the Lymm Parish Council, it was determined that the main factor for moving this event back to the long-standing day of Christmas Eve was that a significant number of skilled volunteers were needed. There are several remaining points that need to be completed to meet Warrington Borough Councils’ criteria for the event to proceed regardless of the day it’s being held. This will become clearer as the Clerk for the Council outlines the final plans. There were several members of the public who were vocal and determined to source the volunteers needed. A general number of 25 volunteers was given by a member of the Council and we managed to enlist a staggering number of over 45 volunteers that are willing and able to assist the Council in keeping the public safe. The volunteer recruitment effort was over the course of 4 days and has met with an outstanding response from the community. It goes to show the love and support by the people to ensure our traditions are not lost.
“I am not speaking on behalf of any organisation or the people of Lymm, I would just like to congratulate all of those involved that supported the Council and helped to bring a solution to a sticky situation.”
