A luxury Wiltshire hotel is hosting a two-day Festive Food & Gift Fair organised by a local charity that offers home security and online safety services for over 60s and adults with a registered disability or who have been victims of domestic abuse.

For the second year running, the Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, near Calne, is delighted to be offering two days of festive stalls selling delicious drinks, food, candles, leather goods and jewellery, plus lots more, to help raise funds for the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust (WBVT).

Taking place on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th November in the Kerry Suite at the recently accredited AA Red Star hotel, visitors will be able to browse for unique Christmas gifts and enjoy a festive afternoon with friends and family, whilst supporting the WBVT to ensure that the most vulnerable within the local community are kept safe and secure in their own home.

The service that the charity provides, in partnership with Wiltshire Police, and the security devices they install are free of charge to the recipients, but the annual cost of running the service is around £275,000. The charity relies 100% on funds raised at its events, including the festive fair, which has helped to keep the charity functioning into its 25th year.

Visitors will also be welcomed by a 12ft wooden reindeer that sits outside the Kerry Suite, made from wood that has been collected from the estate. The large sculpture boasts a red nose and fairy lights, making for a magical spectacle.

Jennie Shaw, Director of the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, said: “We’re excited to be back in the beautiful surrounds of Bowood to host our second magical festive fair. We rely on donations and funds raised to operate our three Bobby vans. These provide mobile workshops for Bobby operators to secure homes whilst the team of Stay Safe Online Volunteers offer one-to-one home visits and community talks on online safety.

“We’re hoping we can continue to spread the message about what we do and why it’s important to the local community, but most importantly we want people to have a good time with their loved ones and get into the festive spirit!”

On Wednesday 23rd, the event runs from 4-8pm and tickets are priced at £15 to include a glass of wine and canapes and can only be bought in advance. For Thursday 24th, £5 tickets can either be purchased in advance or are available to buy on the door from 9am-3pm.

For more information about the Festive Food and Gift Festival or to book tickets for the event, please visit https://www.bowood.org/bowood-hotel-resort/whats-on-hotel/bowood-festive-food-gift-fair/

For more information on the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, please visit https://wiltshirebobbyvan.org.uk/