On behalf of the Light up Hassocks Core Team - Erika, Fred, Alison, Shaun and Jonathan.
Light up Hassocks (LuH) began approximately in 2011. It provided an opportunity for children to celebrate the coming of Christmas with a parade and switching on the special Christmas lights provided by Hassocks Parish Council. Back then it was coordinated by Hassocks Community Partnership (HCP) which subsequently merged with Hassocks Amenity Association (HAA) to form the present day Hassocks Community Organisation (HCO).
From its earliest inception, LuH contained a marching band, Father Christmas on his sleigh and a children’s parade. The timing of late afternoon/early evening on a Friday early in December was chosen to enable children to take part straight after school. LuH also offered an opportunity for local charities to publicise the wide range of activities focused in and around Hassocks and the local environment.
The challenge for the LuH team in recent years has been to create an event that:
• celebrates and entertains the village and its many offerings;
• pleases traders and boosts the local economy;
• offers something new (as well as old favourites) to residents to encourage them to come out and shop;
• is festive and welcomes in the season, and
• creates some Christmas magic for the children.
Achieving all of these simultaneously is an almost impossible balancing act. Nonetheless, the LuH Core Team who plan, coordinate and run LuH, have been exploring ways in which the focus and operation can continue to improve and reflect the entire community, and discussion of this key aspect is currently taking place with several traders and local charities, as well as local schools to ensure that LuH remains true to its original purpose.
Our overriding ambition remains to deliver an event to warm the hearts of local residents. However, the Core Team is very small and not getting any younger. We are actively looking for new team members as well as helpers on the night itself so we can ensure that this popular annual gathering can continue and be a real community event fit for the 2020s and beyond. Next year’s event is under critical threat if we cannot find new team members and helpers urgently.
If you feel as strongly as we do that Hassocks needs Light up Hassocks and would like to help, please get in touch by contacting HCO via: lightuphassocks@gmail.com Thank you.