HELMSLEY in Business is thanking the local community for its help in making the market town shine bright at Christmas.

Events took place in 2017 to raise funds for new Christmas lights for the town and helped raise over £1,800.

A Christmas competition asking for a donation in exchange for the chance to win a spa day at the Feversham Arms, raised £700.

These figures, combined with further donations from members and collection boxes, meant the group raised almost £2,700 last year for new lights to be purchased ready for the festive season 2018.

Altogether, Helmsley in Business has raised more than £10,000 towards the town’s Christmas lights, since the voluntary group formed in 2012.

Jacky Pickering, chair of Helmsley in Business, who runs The Stick Man with husband Keith, said: “We’ve always thought it was important for the local community that we worked hard to make Helmsley a special place to be at Christmas. This year we were lucky enough to have TV’s Yorkshire Vet, Julian Norton, to perform the light switch on, and it was a great evening."