School students are helping to add a new icy sparkle to a fund-raising Tree of Lights in Market Drayton

Market Drayton Rotary Club is once again running the Tree of Lights outside Morrisons in Market Drayton with improvements on the cards.

This year students are being asked to turn used plastic bottles into icicles to reflect the lights - and the memories of loved ones - on the tree at Maer Lane.

A spokesperson for the club said: "This year is tougher for everybody financially but we still hope to improve our organisation and increase the amount raised for local charities.

"The display boards at the bottom of the tree have been renovated by the Mens’ Shed and Rotary are planning to improve the display of names."

The Tree of Lights serves both as a symbol of Christmas and as a positive focus to remember people who are no longer with us but are still precious to us at this time of year.

"It is something that can bring comfort to people who have lost loved ones and a chance to do something positive in their memory," said the spokesman.

The charity appeal provides an opportunity to remember loved ones in the run up to Christmas and honour their memory by contributing to local charities. This year donations to the tree will support Hope House Children’s Hospice and Market Drayton Mencap and Gateway Club.

Anyone who wishes to dedicate a light on the tree and make a donation is asked to complete a sponsorship form available on Market Drayton Rotary website, from the Facebook page, from Morrisons customer service desk, the library or the Town Hall. The list of names will be updated regularly until Christmas.

The Tree of Lights has been a fixture in the town since it was started by a town Rotary Group which disbanded in 2016 when it was taken on by the Lions who ran it until last year when they disbanded and the Tree of Lights was handed on to the town’s new Rotary Group.

Visit the group's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/rotarymd/