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Bury St Edmunds Town Council teases Christmas plans as it makes grants splash on good causes




Christmas events in Bury St Edmunds have received a £9,000 boost from the town council.

The town's Theatre Royal was awarded the grant to provide seats for vulnerable people at its annual pantomime.

The grant will also fund a special 'Christmas cabin' for the entertainment of the public.

A variety of events are planned for the festive season
A variety of events are planned for the festive season

An exclusive play, Where's Santa?, will be performed out of the cabin, with young audiences invited to help an elf track down Father Christmas.

The first performance is scheduled for December 2.

The Theatre Royal's artistic director, Owen Calvert-Lyons, said: "We are building a beautiful log cabin in the centre of town. Inside it, we'll be putting on a brilliant new performance for children aged two to seven.

"It's something we've been wanting to do for a little while. We're conscious that our panto is massively popular - 25,000 people every year watch that -, but it's not really targeted at very young children.

"This is a new offering to reach a slightly younger audience."

At a meeting of the town council on Wednesday, Councillors Diane Hind and Robert Everitt gave an update on the 'Christmas in Bury St Edmunds' event.

Markets and attractions will appear in various parts of town through the festive period, beginning with the Christmas lights switch-on next month.

In addition, there will be themed boutiques at the Apex Centre.

Overall, the council has allocated £28,000 in grants to good causes.

This includes £3,038 towards equipment for St Nicholas Hospice, £15,000 for the Bury Round Table's fireworks event, and £10,000 to install a borehole at Bury Football Club.

In addition, £25,000 is to be allocated per year to Bury St Edmunds and Beyond to promote tourism in town up to 2025.