A community group in Welling has created a fundraiser to make the town sparkle this Christmas.

Progressive Welling is made up of local residents who dedicate their spare time to improving the high street and coming up with ideas to bring more people to the area, with the ultimate aim of increasing community spirit

Katie Overton, who founded Progressive Welling, told News Shopper a little more about the campaign.

She said: “The Christmas lights in Welling have a detailed history that goes back a long way.

“For the last 15-20 years the campaign was run (and mostly funded) by the local Welling town traders , however times have changed and high street businesses are struggling – we cannot expect them to keep footing the bill. .”

The idea behind the campaign is to fill the town with festive lights to bring the mood up and boost community pride.

Welling has one of the longest high streets in London and has a lot of lamp posts, 78 to be precise.

The campaign aims to raise enough money to put lighting in the central part of the town centre in Upper Wickham Lane, Welling High Street and Bellegrove Road.

Progressive Welling don’t just deal in making their streets sparkle, they also hold events throughout the year to bring people back to the high street. They believe that a thriving town centre creates a strong community.

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As part of the Great British Spring Clean they held a litter pick which 146 people turned up to help at, followed by the Easter Trail which provided a free activity for children during the school holidays with prizes!

Katie said: “This year we want to engage the local community and ask everyone to get behind the campaign – residents and traders – to show their support and make the town sparkle.”

Bexley Council have given a £2,200 grant for Welling Town Centre to help improve footfall and this year, Progressive Welling will be putting this towards the festive event with Christmas lights.

The Crowdfunder says: “Your pledges, large or small, will make a difference to what we can organise for the Welling community.

Progressive Welling is always seeking new people to help with projects to benefit Welling and there are various ways to get involved.

Please email progressivewelling@gmail.com or message via Facebook with more details.