Farnborough International brought together more than 300 people from the local Farnborough and Aldershot areas to kick off December festivities and celebrate Christmas early.

Aimed to sprinkle some seasonal cheer to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with their family or friends, guests were treated to an afternoon of festive fun and food, including a two-course lunch, entertainment from musical duo Click, St Mark’s Primary School choir, bingo and an advent prize draw.

The event, which took place 1 December 2023 at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, was held in partnership with Mash Media’s One Day At Christmas initiative, which saw five, national event spaces across the UK simultaneously host community Christmas parties.

Mayor of Rushmoor, Councillor Clive Grattan, attended the afternoon celebration and commented on the ‘joy’ shared throughout the room: “It is a joy to see so many people together from the local community celebrating Christmas. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Farnborough International on organising and hosting this lunch for so many – I hope to see more events like this in the community in the coming years.”

Farnborough International collaborated with its key suppliers and partners to make the event a success, including the venue's Official Caterer Amadeus, RJA, Stadium Support Services, Aztec, RME, CSP, and volunteers from Farnborough International, ADS Group and Tecna, as well as Rushmoor Voluntary Service.

Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, said: “Our local community is incredibly important to us at Farnborough International, and to bring some festive spirit to those who need it most is a real privilege. The event enabled us to give our local community members a chance to meet new people, enjoy some delicious food and have fun.

“We couldn’t have held our ‘One Day At Christmas’ event without the generous support of our partners, suppliers, volunteers and staff from both Farnborough International and our group company ADS. I am grateful to all of those who supported, volunteered, took part and attended our community Christmas party.”