Annual Christmas lights event held in aid of Shelter
Seven Dials welcomed thousands of visitors to celebrate the West End village’s annual Christmas lights switch on. The lights and the evening’s Christmas activities were based around the theme a ‘Starry Night’, held in aid of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter.
Visitors witnessed the unveiling of the 2019 Christmas lights installation, featuring over 650 giant stars across the seven interconnecting streets, signifying that sleeping under the stars is still a reality for thousands of people living on the streets of the UK.
On the night, Shaftesbury also unveiled ‘Boutique by Shelter’, an exclusive charity pop-up shop at 72 Neal Street offering designer, vintage and quality high street clothing at a fraction of the original price, also raising funds for the charity.
Karen Baines, head of group marketing & communications at Shaftesbury, Seven Dials said: “We are thrilled to officially launch Christmas in Seven Dials with this interactive light installation, and even more so in aid of such an important cause. With a fantastic soundtrack and over 60 local retailers and restaurants taking part, the event created a fun-filled evening, whilst also helping to kick-start funding throughout the festive season for all those supported by Shelter.”
Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter says:“While Christmas for many is one of the most magical times of the year, it can be an increasingly cold, difficult and dangerous period for the millions of people across the UK struggling with bad housing and homelessness. With the help of the public’s unwavering generosity and support, we’re thrilled to be able to light up the streets around Seven Dials with our one-off pop-up shop, which will make a real difference to the lives of those less fortunate at this time of year.”
From now until early January, visitors can enjoy Seven Dials’ interactive Christmas light installation, and make a contribution to Shelter at the Earlham Street charity tap point and ‘Boutique by Shelter’ pop-up shop.
