Serving the west since 1861
No 8635
Thursday 6 October 2022
www.obantimes.co.uk
£1
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Help light up Oban this festive season You can help Oban shine this Christmas with a donation to the festive fund for illuminations, backed by town ambassador Kay MacDonald.
by Kathie Griffiths kgriffiths@obantimes.co.uk
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Oban’s population could soon smash the town’s festive lights appeal if everyone donated just £2. Donations from the public are starting to pick up, with £10s to £20s and even £50s dropping into the coffers, but every penny counts from the biggest to smallest amounts, says town ambassador Kay MacDonald. A crowdfunding page to make this year’s Christmas light show better and brighter than ever before has reached seven per cent of its £20,000 target thanks to 55 online supporters. It is hoped money will also come from other sources says Kay, who is part of a group specially set up to help bring in the funds. Oban Community Council has agreed to ask the Oban Common Good Fund for £15,000 to pay for wall mounts and street wires to support the lights. Outcomes of bids to Hollow Mountain hydro company Drax and to Scottish Sea Farms are also awaited and
BID4Oban will be making a donation. Saturday November 26 is the date set for the reindeer parade and lights switch-on so time is ticking to hit the target. One of the crowdfunding supporters said: ‘Would love to see Oban with amazing Christmas lights. A walk round town on a Christmas night with a hot chocolate would be the perfect cheer everyone needs. Hope everyone gets behind this.’
Kay fully agrees, saying: ‘People need cheering up this year more than ever so it’s even more important our lights are brighter and better than before. We need everyone’s help to make it happen. If everyone who is part of Oban’s 8,500 population put £2 in the pot we would almost have all the money we need for this year. Together we can make it happen.’ The town’s Christmas lights badly need replacing to help
Oban look its sparkling best. A mix of new, damaged and old lighting, most of which was inherited and gifted to BID4Oban after Argyll and Bute Council gave up the responsibility, is what the town has currently to offer. Appeal organisers are asking everyone to share these crowdfunding page details, saying ‘the more the merrier’ You can find it here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ obanfestivelights.
The last of funding for Christmas lights from Argyll and Bute Council was used up in 2020. Donations from Oban Common Good Fund, Oban Community Council, West Highland Housing Association and BID4Oban managed to secure lighting at the last minute for last year but more twinkles are a must for 2022. Key areas for lights were identified as George Street, Station Square, the clock tower, Albany Street, Combie Streets and the town’s traditional three trees. The Oban Times agreed early on to sponsor netting lights around the clock tower. Keep an eye out for the redwrapped collecting tins out and about in shops and pubs in Oban for the lights fund. Fundraisers will also be out collecting in town at this year’s fireworks display on bonfire night.