Crowds for festive event at Bishop college

A popular festive event returned to Bishop Auckland College on Saturday. The annual event features local community groups and charities, as well as craft stalls and Santa Claus.

Visitors were be able to meet Santa, Mrs Tinsel and Ellie the ‘Chief Elf’ and join in family entertainment.

The event has been held by 2D for more than a decade, and more than 1,700 people attended last year.

Local people were invited to vote in an Area Action Partnership event to decide where £25,000 of council funding would be spent. More than 40 community groups set up stalls and explained their projects to visitors.

“We invited projects that addressed the priorities of the Area Action Partnership,” explained Andrew Walker to Bishop FM. “So we asked people to come forward with projects that either had an impact on employment and jobs, crime and community safety and children and young people.”

Groups to secure funding up to £2,000 after votes were counted included the Royal Fusileers Jazz Band, Bishop Auckland Community Partnership’s ‘Illuminating our Skate Park’, 2nd Bishop Auckland Scout Group and Woodhouse Close Church Thrift Shop. More than 800 local people visited the stalls and took part in voting.

See photos from the 2D Community Festive Fayre on Flickr.