This evening the Prime Minister will join NHS workers, military personnel and members of the police to switch on the Downing Street Christmas lights (Monday 2 December).
This evening the Prime Minister will join NHS workers, military personnel and members of the police to switch on the Downing Street Christmas lights.
Public sector workers have been invited to Number 10 to celebrate the countdown to Christmas ahead of the festive period.
Guests will enjoy mince pies and hot chocolate. They will then hear carols sung - O Little Town of Bethlehem and Come All Ye Faithful - by the NHS Choir from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust who have performed before at Glastonbury Festival and the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
I am delighted to be joined by public sector workers at Downing Street as the countdown to Christmas begins.
From firefighters, NHS staff, hospitality workers, police officers and our armed forces, it is important to remember those who are away from their families keep the country running through the festive period. On behalf of the whole country, we thank you.
The Prime Minister and Mrs Starmer will then switch on the lights, before inviting guests for a reception inside 10 Downing Street where a military woodwind quintet will play Christmas music.
PO Kieran Glynn, Coxswain on HMS Tyne said:
I grew up in a small mining town in East Lothian, Scotland and would never have imagined I'd be standing outside 10 Downing Street to see the Christmas lights turned on as a serving member of the Royal Navy with my family.
As a serving member of the military you don't stop at Christmas. I'm very grateful to my wife for looking after my four sons when I've been deployed over the festive period before, so it means the world that we will all be able to celebrate the start of Christmas together in Downing Street.
Every year, members from the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) run a competition to select the Christmas tree and wreath which showcases the finest dedication, craftsmanship and commitment of British Christmas tree growers.
The winners have their tree sit outside 10 Downing Street and the wreath which rests on Number 10's famous black door.
This year's Champion Christmas Tree Grower of the Year was won by Evergreen Christmas Trees - a family run business based on the Welsh border who have been growing Christmas trees since 1992.
Outside Number 10 this evening the Prime Minister will switch on the lights of their Nordmann Fir.
Stephen Reynolds, the founder of Evergreen Christmas Trees said:
We've entered the British Christmas Tree Growers Association every year and are delighted to have won it this year for the first time in our history. We won with a Nordmann Fir that we have been growing on our farm for at least ten years.
Supplying the tree that will stand out Number 10 is a tremendous honour. We have taken plenty of time to make sure the tree is the right one, especially knowing it will be seen and admired by so many people.
Cadeby Tree Trust from Warwickshire are the runner up of this year's Champion Christmas Tree Grower of the Year and have supplied two Christmas trees which will sit inside Downing Street.
The wreath on Downing Street's famous black door was provided by Santa Trees, a Christmas tree farm from Cornwall, who are this year's Champion Festive Wreath Winner. Ivor and Margaret Dungey, and their daughter Helen hand make their wreaths using foliage freshly cut from their farm. This is the second time Santa Tress have received the Champion Festive Wreath award, and this year's winning contribution is made from their own grown Noble Fir and is decorated in the traditional Christmas colours of red and gold.
