OVER 5,000 people enjoyed the Nativity Crib Festival in Chipping Sodbury with more than 180 cribs on display illustrating the nativity scene.

The festival returned for its fourth year in the town from Wednesday, December 3 to Sunday, December 7 in St John’s Church.

The event exhibited 188 cribs in a range of styles and materials created and loaned by school children and the public.

The annual event also saw various arts and crafts illustrating the nativity on display for visitors to enjoy, while raising money for the Julian Trust Night Shelter in Bristol.

An opening ceremony was held on Tuesday, December 2 evening to welcome sponsors, guests and helpers of the festival.

The event was then open for members of the public the next day, where schools from the area visited the church and people were encouraged to bring in their own cribs and crafts to add to the exhibition.

Drumming workshops and story-telling sessions entertained visitors over the five day event.

Reverend Canon Jane Kenchington, who helped organise the event, said: “We are thrilled with how it went. We had over 5,000 visitors this year, and we have more and more people come along every year.

“We are yet to add up the total amount of money raised for The Julian Trust but we try to choose a local charity every year that we can see is really in need of help, and that will appeal to the public.

“When we started the festival four years ago there were two rationale for what was wanted from it. We wanted to have an event to find a different way to tell the Christmas story for people to see, and we wanted to build a greater link with the community. The Crib Festival has done both.”

The Julian Trust charity supports a night shelter in St Paul’s, Bristol for homeless people, staffed and managed by volunteers who rely entirely on voluntary donations.

The Benefice administrator, Michelle Jenkins, said: “This year several schools from the area came long and got involved and contributed to the cribs. We had craft tables during the festival so that children could be creative and get involved over the days.

“There was loads going on, and on the Friday was the exciting bit with the two little donkeys coming in to the church. The kids loved it, we’ve had donkeys here before so they are now crib regulars and always get a lot of attention.

“The festival is really building a reputation as a good pre-Christmas event for lots of people.”

Salisbury Cathedral loaned a nativity scene to the church showing a dramatic display of angels for the festival.

Assistant curate, Peter Fewings, said: “We were lucky to have the cathedral’s nativity scene on loan. It was a very central piece and the angels took around two hours to put up and two hours to take down, but it was worth it when you saw so many people enjoy them.”

Reverend Kenchington added: “I’d like to express great thanks to all in the community who helped me run the festival, all the volunteers who helped with the organisation and thanks to all who leant us cribs.

“If people haven’t lent a crib before to the fantastic event, they should contact us and get involved next year.”

The festival takes place on the first Friday of December each year and meetings will take place in March next year to begin organising the next event, which will take place from Wednesday, December 2 to Sunday, December 6.