A COUNCILLOR has thrown his weight behind plans for a festive procession which will give residents the chance to light up their village for Christmas.

Councillor Bill Proud, who represents Catchgate and Harelaw on Derwentside District Council, has donated £1,000 from the local authority's community group fund to the Nightlights project, run by community arts group Busy Ape Arts.

Last year, 180 local people took part in the procession through the streets of Harelaw, near Annfield Plain, four days before Christmas. They carried lanterns made by youngsters and walked to the beat of samba drums.

There were two weeks of workshops, so that young people could make lanterns, learn samba rhythms and produce an ultra-violet light performance.

This year, it is hoped the project will be bigger and better, working alongside The Sage Gateshead to develop and perform a community song for the area - providing enough funding can be found.

Coun Proud said: "I chose Nightlights to receive my allocation from the council's community group fund because it was so successful last year and it would be a shame not to do it again.

Abi Barker, Busy Ape Arts manager, said: "We are really grateful to Councillor Proud.

"We hope local businesses and organisations will follow his example and help us with Nightlights."

The project, backed by Catchgate and Annfield Plain Regeneration Partnership, Catchgate Residents Association and Derwentside Youth Inclusion Programme, is based at the Busy Ape Arts headquarters at the Phoenix Arts Centre, in Harelaw.

For information, or to help with funding, contact (01207) 282228.

"New houses are being built and people are moving here, which means there are a lot of young people, so it's important to support projects like this that give them something to do."