Havering Council has secured sponsorship to ensure every town centre will now be able to celebrate Christmas.
This is thanks to the generosity of Marlborough Highways who stepped in and donated £20,000 and comes after the work of many town centre and community groups and local businesses who have already come together to continue Christmas events and traditions in locations across the borough.
The latest sponsorship money from Marlborough Highways will now ensure the areas which hadn’t managed to arrange anything will not go without this Christmas.
Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said:
“It is great news that we have managed to secure the sponsorship needed to support Christmas in our town centres.
"My sincere thanks goes first to Marlborough Highways who will be providing Christmas trees to a number of local areas and also to the other businesses and community groups who have worked so hard to ensure Havering can still celebrate Christmas.
“We have been very clear from the start that we were sadly unable to fund Christmas lights, trees and events this year because of the urgent need to make savings.
"We have no choice due to the year on year Government reductions in funding and the escalating costs in social care and homelessness.
“However we always said we would work with local businesses and groups to help them plan their own activities and would do our best to secure sponsorship for Christmas trees in town centres.
“I am pleased that thanks to the generosity of local businesses, our Highways contractor Marlborough Highways and other community groups that all our town centres will be able to uphold our festive traditions in Havering this Christmas.”
The Council is still looking for businesses to support town centre activities. If businesses are interested please email advertising@havering.gov.uk