ALL SAINTS CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL 2025

TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE PILGRIM'S HOSPICE CANTERBURY​​​​​​​​​​​

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A huge thank you for your interest in making this year's Christmas Tree Festival at All Saints truly magical!  If you decide to participate your festive masterpiece will not only bring so much joy to everyone who visits, but it will also help us raise money for the wonderful Pilgrim's Hospice in Canterbury. We simply couldn't do it without you!

 

Let's Get Festively Organized!

 

A Few Quick Details

• When's the Festival? The festival runs from Friday, December 19th, to Sunday, December 21st.

• What times will the church be open? The public can come admire all your hard work from 2 PM to 6 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

• The £60 Deal: Your group's fee of £60 gets you a beautiful, real, non-shedding, 5-foot Christmas tree from our friends at Meadow Grange, complete with a stand. We'll even have it set up on a chair for you—no heavy lifting required! We will buy all the trees and stands which are all identical. They are charging £58 and the additional £2 will be used to buy a towel to put below each tree to keep our chairs clean.

• We are having to put the Christmas trees on chairs due to the lack of floor space in the church but we are still sure it will look great. There will be lots of space between the rows of chairs for people to inspect each tree and they will look good all round the church.

• Who Can Participate? Anyone - a group, business, charity, school, pub etc. Or you can sponsor a tree and decorate it in memory of a loved one or loved ones you have lost.

Decorating Your Masterpiece

You are responsible for decorating your own tree. We will tell you the location of your tree in a plan once we know how many groups are participating.

• Lighting it Up:

  • We'd love for you to add lights to your tree! Just be sure they are battery-operated or USB-powered. Think of them as your tree's personal, self-contained sparkle show!

  • Please, no mains-operated lights—let's keep our lovely old church from getting tripped over!

  • For the best glow, remember to fully charge your USB lights or pop in some fresh batteries before you decorate. They should easily last the full 12 hours of the festival. You will find they are now easily accessible online or in shops.

 

• Adding Your Flair:

  • Go wild with tinsel and all your favourite decorations!

  • Feel free to place leaflets about your group on the chair at the base of the tree.

  • A friendly note: please save the Sellotape and Blu Tack for your own home. Our chairs will thank you! So no Sellotape or Blu Tack is permitted on any of our church furniture or walls.

• Giving a Shout-Out:

  • Don't forget to attach your group's name to the tree so everyone knows who created such a fantastic display! How you do it is completely up to you.

 

The Timetable for Tinsel

• When to Decorate:

  • The church will be open for decorating on Friday, December 19th, from 7 AM to 12 PM. Please note a small 5 foot tree should only take 30 minutes to decorate.

  • If you can't make Friday, no worries! You can also decorate on Thursday, December 18th, from 6 PM to 9 PM. Just a heads-up, our choir will be rehearsing, so you'll have some lovely background music while you work!

  • Please let us know when you are planning to decorate as there is no point us being there if nobody is turning up at 7am on Friday morning. Thank you

• Lights On, Lights Off:

  • Please have a representative from your group ready to switch your lights on and off at the start and end of each public viewing afternoon (2pm and 6pm). If you can't, no problem—just let us know, and we'll happily do it for you!

• Taking Your Tree Home:

  • You can collect your tree and decorations between 6 PM and 10 PM on Sunday, December 21st. We need all trees and decorations gone by 10pm that evening please.  Trees and decorations not collected will be donated to charity or disposed of. This is important as our church is needed on Monday morning for an event at which the trees will not be present. Thank you for your understanding of this important point.

Payment & Giving

• Payment Due Date: Please send your payment by October 31st, 2025.

• How to Pay:

  • Account Name: All Saints Whitstable DCC

  • Sort Code: 30-99-61

  • Account Number: 00131310

  • After you've paid, please email Simon at simon@teamvicar.org so we can send a thank you and confirm everything is set! Payment is the way you formally book for this event. Without payment we will not reserve your tree past 31st October.

• Donations: The £60 payment is just for the tree and stand. If your group would like to make an extra donation to Pilgrim's Hospice, you're more than welcome to bring cash with you to the festival. We also have a card reader. Donations made to All Saints Whitstable via our Card Reader from that Friday to Sunday will all be given to Pilgrim’s Hospice. Every little bit helps!

Thank you again for helping us make this a truly wonderful and memorable event. We can't wait to see your tree!

To book simply make the transfer to our bank account and email me that you have done it and a tree and stand will be reserved for you.

 

 

 

A QUICK REMINDER
 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When is the Christmas Tree Festival?

A: The festival runs from Friday, December 19th, to Sunday, December 21st, 2025.

Q: What are the public viewing hours?

A: The church will be open for the public to view the trees from 2 PM to 6 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Q: How much does a tree cost?

A: The fee is £60 per tree. This includes a 5-foot real, non-shedding Christmas tree and a stand.

Q: Why are the trees on chairs?

A: We're placing the trees on chairs to save floor space, but don't worry—there will be plenty of room for visitors to walk around and admire every beautiful tree!

Q: Who can participate?

A: Anyone, individuals or groups.

Q: What kind of lights can I use?

A: Please only use battery-operated or USB-powered lights. For safety reasons, lights that plug into the wall are not allowed.

Q: What about decorations?

A: You're welcome to use tinsel and other decorations. Just a friendly reminder: please do not use Sellotape or Blu Tack on any of the church furniture or walls.

Q: Can we promote our group at the festival?

A: Yes! You can place leaflets about your group on the chair at the base of your tree. You should also attach your group's name to the tree itself.

Q: When can we decorate our tree?

A: You can decorate on Friday, December 19th, from 7 AM to 12 PM. You can also decorate on Thursday, December 18th, from 6 PM to 9 PM (the choir will be rehearsing during this time). Please let us know which day you plan to come.

Q: Who turns the lights on and off each day?

A: We ask that a representative from your group turn the lights on at 2 PM and off at 6 PM each day. If this isn't possible, just let us know, and we'll happily do it for you.

Q: When do we need to collect our tree?

A: All trees and decorations must be collected on Sunday, December 21st, between 6 PM and 10 PM. Any items left behind will be donated or disposed of, as the church is needed for an event on Monday morning.

Q: How do we pay?

A: Please make a bank transfer for the £60 fee to the account details below by October 31st, 2025.

• Account Name: All Saints Whitstable DCC

• Sort Code: 30-99-61

• Account Number: 00131310

After paying, please email Simon at simon@teamvicar.org to confirm your booking.

Q: Can we donate to Pilgrim's Hospice?

A: The £60 fee is for the tree and stand only. If you wish to make an additional donation to Pilgrim's Hospice, you can bring a cash donation or use our card reader at the festival. All card reader donations from Friday to Sunday will go directly to the hospice.