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This Christmas, Woking Shopping’s ‘Make a festive difference’ campaign aims to shine a light on a number of ecological issues, while helping their customers enjoy a more eco-friendly Christmas.
Working in collaboration with local charities such as WWF, they will raise awareness of a number of environmental issues as well as making Christmas a little easier and more enjoyable for their customers.
They begin on Saturday 16 November with their free lantern making workshops, which will see children upcycling glass jars into stunning Christmas lanterns. Children will then be invited to join Woking Shopping’s Christmas lights switch-on celebrations with a lantern parade on Thursday 21 November.
Their Christmas lights switch-on event on Thursday 21 November takes place in Jubilee Square with a fabulous day of festivities. Eagle Radio will be compering the show and there will be a host of free entertainment for families to enjoy. The exciting schedule includes music and dance performances by local schools and a fantastic kettle band bringing some carnival spirit to the heart of town.
Santa will also be flying by to meet and greet the little ones and a variety characters walking about the Peacocks Centre and Wolsey Place, will entertain the whole family throughout the day.
Visitors are sure to be wowed by an incredible animal encounter as Woking welcomes a furry friend to join the celebrations, while Woking Choral Society fills the centre with festive cheer in the evening. It’s set to be a fantastic community event, which will also include a stunning lantern parade, featuring lanterns hand made by children involved in their lantern making workshops, using recycled materials.
They continue on Saturdays 23 November and 7 December as customers are invited to come and see a Polar Bear and penguin family appear out of the ice as a team of ice sculptors carve out some magical masterpieces in Jubilee Square to help raise awareness of the plight of the melting ice caps.
During December, there will be an eco-friendly gift wrapping service located in Peacocks food court, supported by local charities who will benefit from any donations made from the service. The service aims to alleviate some of the pressures of the festive preparations as well as highlighting more conscious gift-wrapping methods and supporting local causes, close to the heart of the community.
On Saturday 21 December, Woking Shopping will be helping shoppers get in the mood for the big day with some complimentary mince pies and Christmas carolling with the Woking Choral Society and other local choral groups taking part.
Furthermore, with extended shopping hours the week before Christmas customers can shop until 6pm from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18, 8pm from Thursday 19 to Monday 23 December (excluding Sunday) and 6pm on Christmas Eve – giving them a little extra time to get everything they need for their loved ones this Christmas.
Rowen de Grauw, Customer Experience Manager, Woking Shopping said: “This Christmas, we wanted to do things a little differently at Woking Shopping. It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the celebrations without a second thought. This campaign has community and the environment at its heart - bringing some real-life issues to the fore, while demonstrating alternative, more conscious ways to celebrate!”