Community saves Sark's Christmas lights

The Christmas lights in 2018 - which were funded by Sark Electricity

The community in Sark has pulled together to save the island's annual Christmas lights.

It comes after Sark Electricity, which has historically funded the lights, said it could no longer finance them without support.

On social media, the company said its budgets were "being squeezed".

The community has since come together to raise funds and the Sark Chamber of Commerce has confirmed the lights will go ahead.

It thanked some of the businesses which had contributed by donating raffle prizes and hosting events to raise funds.

Sark, which has a population of about 500, has no cars or streetlights

Sark Electricity said it had in the past shouldered the cost of the Christmas lights, which took three people three weeks to install and take down.

Previously, the company said it would welcome an initiative to pass the responsibility of covering the costs to local businesses and the government.

It said it had offered a donation to get the process rolling and encouraged others to do the same.

Alan Witney-Price, managing director of Sark Electricity, said the lights had cost the company £5,169 to install and run in 2022.

Mr Witney-Price said the chamber of commerce had committed to raising £3,500 to the lights this year.

He said that, if the community did not manage to raise the full £3,500, the chamber would make up the difference out of its own finances.

Sark Electricity would then pick up the remainder of the cost of the lights, Mr Witney-Price said.

On Tuesday, the chamber said it had been "overwhelmed by the community spirit and support" shown over the last week to raise funds for the cost of the lights.

It said a date for the official switch-on would be confirmed in the next couple of days.

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