Read more:
A record £25,000 was raised at Ripon Cathedral’s Christmas Gift and Food Fair, as 2,500 visitors braved Storm Arwen to attend the two-day event.
Proceeds from the fair (pictured above), held last Friday and Saturday, exceeded pre-pandemic levels and will help fund the cathedral’s development plans for the future.
As a covid safety measure, pre-bookable time slots were made available online.
Visitors, who came from Yorkshire and further afield, enjoyed a festive atmosphere, with 100 stalls selling seasonal gifts and food.
Aysgarth School Choir, The Yorkshire Decibelles, Knot Another Choir and Emily and Adrian Roberts were among those providing entertainment.
The pop-up cafe’s offerings included hot turkey sandwiches and homemade cakes, along with tea, coffee and mulled wine, all served by cathedral volunteers. Children’s craft activities, a chocolate tombola and a raffle were also available.
The cathedral’s development campaign manager, Margaret Hammond, said:
“The fair marks the start of the Christmas celebrations for the local community. It was wonderful to see so many people back enjoying the spectacular setting of Ripon Cathedral.
“There are so many individuals to thank for helping to make this year’s Christmas Fair such a truly special event: Freda Bottomley, one of our volunteers, along with Dean John and his team of clergy, raised a record £1,600 selling raffle tickets; 70 volunteers manned the door, served refreshments and baked wonderful Christmas Cakes which were sold on the fundraising stall.
“Ripon businesses including Morrisons supermarket provided raffle prizes and provided the mince pies. Soldiers from Claro Barracks helped set up the event and everyone worked incredibly hard and helped in so many different ways to make sure it was a huge success.
“The event completely relies on the generosity of volunteers giving up their time to help raise funds.”
The Christmas Gift and Food Fair at Ripon Cathedral will return this month.
The popular event is usually staged annually but could covid restrictions meant it did not happen in 2020.
This year it will take place for the first time over two days, on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November from 9.30am to 4.30pm on both days.
There will be 95 stalls offering a wide selection of unusual gifts, crafts and local food.
A pop-up café will serve hot turkey sandwiches, mulled wine, hot drinks and homemade cakes.
Ripon Cathedral
Live Christmas music will be provided by local choirs over lunchtime on both days in the ornate setting of the cathedral’s quire.
The fair is popular with families and although Santa will not be attending this year, there will be craft activities for children, who will be able to decorate a Christmas bauble to take home and hang on their tree.
Harrogate solicitors Raworths and Leeds wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin are supporting the event as part of their business partnership with the cathedral.
Zoe Robinson, managing partner at Raworths said:
“As a business partner, Raworths is delighted to play a part in the preservation and development of the Cathedral and to support local community-based events organised by Ripon Cathedral’s team, such as the wonderful annual Christmas Fair.”
Entry is £5 payable on the door by card or cash or online. Entry for accompanied children is free.
Read more: