ORGANISERS of this year’s Christchurch Living Advent Calendar are ready to bring the magic of Christmas back to Christchurch, with less than a week to go until the first performance.

Supported by more than 120 local businesses and organisations, including The Priory Church, Captains Club Hotel, the Regent Centre, and the Kings Arms, this festive Christchurch initiative, first staged in Sweden more than 15 years ago, has been bought to life by the town’s Rotary Club.

Chair of the CLAC organising group Rotarian Jan Banks said: “A free event for the town by the town.

“It’s a great way not only to welcome footfall back to Christchurch but, with a sprinkling of festive magic, to see people, families and friends enjoying the festivities, lights, and atmosphere.

“We look forward to lots of people coming back to be part of the daily spectacles, perhaps also doing some Christmas shopping and enjoying the many restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés that we have here.”

The Christchurch Living Advent Calendar, which will run from December 1 to December 24, involves a different town centre venue opening at 6.15pm each day to reveal a local talent performing for roughly half an hour to support a local charitable cause - 24 nights, 24 venues, and 24 performances all hosted by one town.

Just like a normal advent calendar, the identity of performers will not be announced before the event but will subsequently be publicised on the CLAC website.

An impressive £12,000 has already been raised by sponsorship for local charities with more to come each evening throughout December.

Chef Alex Aitken, due to host a CLAC event at the Kings Arms Pavilion on December 7, said: “It’s a fantastic initiative – I knew the moment that I heard about it that we had to support it.

“I really can’t wait for it to start. It’s a real celebration of talent and community spirit and my grandchildren are going to love it.”

The first performance, at 6.15pm on Wednesday December 1, will be in the north porch of Christchurch Priory Church, privately sponsored and held in support of Autism Wessex, in the presence of the Mayor of Christchurch.

Then on Thursday December 2, Kamm Civil Engineering are sponsoring the performance at the James and White restaurant in aid of Lewis Manning Hospice Care charity.

On December 3, the Christchurch Charitable Trust sponsors the CLAC event at Druitt Hall in aid of the Somerford Alliance Resource Centre; with a show sponsored by Proscapes Construction/Landscaping to help Macmillan Caring Locally at Priory Church the following day on December 4.

Then, it is the turn of the Boat House to host a presentation on Sunday December 5, sponsored by the Christchurch Charitable Trust, in aid of the Water Lily Project; and, on December 6, the Captain’s Club welcomes a performance sponsored by the Primrose Charitable Trust in support of the British Heart Foundation.

To complete the first week, on Tuesday December 7, spectators are invited to the Kings Arms Pavilion for a show, sponsored by T C Filer Knapper, for the benefit of Christchurch Food Bank+.

Performances will continue to run every evening at 6.15pm until December 24, when there will be a special Christmas Eve celebration in Saxon Square starting at 2pm.

A full breakdown of venues, sponsors and charities can be found on the CLAC website www.christchurchlivingadventcalendar.org.uk.