A VILLAGE is working together to put on a Christmas event to remember.

Schoolchildren, businesses, church and councillors have teamed up to put on a bigger Christmas lights switch-on event in Davenham this year.

Clr Katie Mattinson, vice chairman of Davenham Parish Council, said: "The shops have all agreed to stay open and everyone's agreed to do something a bit special.

"It's an opportunity for us to help promote business in the village and an opportunity for them to pull together."

The event takes place in the village centre at 6pm on December 4.

Simon Bennett, from Riverside Organic, will be selling burgers and Santa's grotto will be set up at Oddfellows Arms pub.

Children fromYears Five and Six at Davenham CE Primary School will take part in a lantern parade that will see them sing at Fountain Court and Davenham Nursing Home before joining the festivities at the Christmas tree.

The school's wind band will then play carols before the tree lights are switched on by the Rev Rob Iveson, vicar at St Wilfrid's Church.

Clr Andy Duff, parish council chairman, said: "Clr Katie Mattison and Clr Cath Salt have been working to try to make it a bigger village event with shops staying open, other businesses coming down and both the pubs thinking about what they can do."

Davenham Parish Council is also working on organising a wreath making event for the community at the village branch of the Royal British Legion, in Firth Fields, on December 8.

Clr Mattinson said: "Ladies from the village could take cuttings from their garden, come to the Royal British Legion and make wreaths together.

"It's not a fundraiser or anything and we don't know what the take up will be but it's another community event that brings people together."