A first-time Christmas Tree Festival is being held to celebrate Advent and showcase a wealth of charities.

Lynn Minster is holding the new event where more than 30 charities, businesses and youth organisations will be represented.

West Norfolk Mayor, Cllr Andy Bullen will officially open the festival on Friday, December 5 at 10am, and youngsters from Whitefriars Church of England Academy will sing Christmas songs.

The festival will be open to the public from 10am until 6pm on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and then 10am to 4pm on Sunday, December 7. Admission will be free with 33 decorated trees to admire and entertainment across the three days from Lynn Festival Chorus, West Norfolk Music Centre, Watlington Players, and the Steam House Café to name a few as well as choirs from Whitefriars and St Martha’s schools.

The Minster Café will be open throughout serving hot drinks and delicious cakes.

The organisations attending will be raising awareness of their causes and hoping for donations either for themselves or their nominated charity. One of the businesses attending, legal firm Ward Gethin Archer, will be supporting Hillington’s Tapping House hospice.

A spokesperson for the festival said: “The timing has been scheduled to take place across the first weekend of December, right at the start of the Advent season, which falls over the Sunday celebrating St Nicholas, with the 10am Parish Eucharist taking place in St Nicholas’ Chapel that day, it means that we are able to have a whole weekend of the festival without having to close for services.

“We hope that the everyone will have a fabulous experience visiting the festival and show their support for the many organisations involved.”

These include Bridge for Heroes, West Norfolk Befriending, RSPCA, Girl Guides, Oddfellows, food bank, Poco Lounge, S and L Self-Harm Distraction Kits, Samaritans and lots more.

The event has come to fruition after last year when, in conjunction with the Norfolk Lieutenancy Office, the Minster offered some space during Heritage Open Day to local charities who wanted to promote their work and recruit volunteers.

However, that didn’t work quite work as well as hoped and the thought was to do something that might be a little more creative and engaging while promoting and supporting charities.

A Christmas Tree festival seemed the obvious choice and after seeking advice from other town’s with festive tree events, it was decided to launch the Minster’s own festival.

The plan was for a smaller scale event for the first year with a maximum of 25 trees but it has proved so popular the number has been increased to 33.

Sandringham Estate has supplied the trees, and Lynn firm Prontaprint has printed banners free of charge and produced other printed materials. Both West Norfolk Council and Discover King’s Lynn have also supported the festival.

The organisers said: “We hope this will be the first of many Christmas Tree Festivals that will nourish and encourage collaborative working across the community.”