Lights4fun 2023 Highlights

Written by: Grace Agar

As the year draws to a close, we’re reminiscing on our 2023 highlights and looking back on all we’ve achieved this year. From twinkling fairy lights to showstopping Christmas figures, we've expanded our product range, inspiring our customers to make magical moments in their homes. As well as this, 2023 has seen us work with some fantastic partners along the way, and we can’t wait to share all we have achieved in our 20th year.

Lights4fun Company Achievements

20 Years of Lights4fun 

When July rolled around this summer, there were huge celebrations in the office for our 20th birthday! From a company born around a kitchen table back in 2003 in Harrogate, the journey of Lights4fun began with the vision to provide quality products and outstanding customer service. Having now evolved with the launch of a new website this year, along with our first ever Christmas Advert, we are constantly looking to improve and grow. Whilst a lot has changed in 20 years, our vision remains the same today, inspiring our customers to create their own moments of magic.  

 

Becoming An Award-Winning Team 

Although we personally believe we’ve always been the best at what we do, 2023 saw this confirmed! Being awarded ‘Decorative Lighting eTailer of the Year 2023’ at the SME UK Enterprise Awards was a huge milestone for us a business and a testament to our incredible team! 

 

Aardman Collection

2023 has seen the growth of our ongoing collaboration with Academy Award®-winning animation studio, Aardman, to bring you a growing range of light-up figures! Following the huge success of our initial Shaun the Sheep™ Light Up figure, we were delighted to have the opportunity to grow our family of figures, creating a range that has something for everyone! From Shaun the Sheep™ fairy lights to a lovely Light Up Gromit™ , these products have become a firm favourite, even having their own special feature on This Morning! 

In The Press

It’s been an exciting 12 months for Lights4fun in the world of press and we’ve seen our name go far and wide. From appearing on the Your Harrogate podcast, to illuminating a service bus that’s travelling throughout Yorkshire this Christmas, Emily and the team have embarked on various projects, whilst consistently featuring in a vast array of publications.

Starlight Children's Foundation

Throughout 2023 we have continued our exciting adventure with our long-term charity partner Starlight Children’s Foundation. We teamed up to launch a competition for the children of Starlight to design their very own set of fairy lights. We received so many incredible designs that it was difficult to choose just one winner, but one very special drawing really stood out to us all, and so we set off on our great space adventure to create the perfect set of fairy lights, designed by Zarak aged 7. We are so incredibly honoured to have worked with Zarak and been a part of this special journey in support of the Starlight Children’s Foundation. All profits from each sale of the Planet Fairy Lights have been donated to Starlight, to help seriously ill children experience the joy of childhood through the power of play.  

With the help of Starlight, we were also opened up to the opportunity to work with the amazing Airedale NHS Foundation Trust. By donating a selection of decorations and lights we were able to brighten up the wards and treatments rooms, and contribute to a cosy reading area where patients can escape their bedspace or busy playrooms and get lost in a book. It’s been such an honour to work with both trust’s and we can’t wait to see what’s to come for them and all their incredible work in 2024!  

Harewood House  

After a truly magical partnership last year, we were delighted to announce our continued support for Harewood House for the second festive season running. This year we embraced festive nostalgia and the joy of creating family traditions - we feel so very privileged to be part of Harewood's Great Time Travelling Christmas! We are thrilled to partner with such a fantastic trust, one which we are incredibly proud to have on our doorstep here in North Yorkshire.  

 

Early in the festive season, some of our Lights4fun elves took to decorating the Below Stairs area of the 18th century stately home, providing all the lights that are in both the Old Kitchen and the Pastry Room too. As well as this, we took to The Bothy, to transform this lovely tearoom into a festive little escape from the cold. Adorned with an abundance of red and ivory TruGlow and the jolliest of tree’s, this merry and bright room was sure to get all visitors into the festive spirit.  To showcase our proud display, we hosted yet another event at Harewood House this year and invited some lovely guests along. We shared in a wholesome evening of toasting marshmallows fireside, sipping winter warmers and taking a trip down memory lane, celebrating the nostalgia of the festive season.  

Rudding Park

This year we have been so proud to start up an amazing partnership with a fellow Harrogate business, Rudding Park. A first for Rudding Park’s festive season, this partnership was sparked with the intention to magically enhance their guest experience with a ‘Follow the Christmas Stars’ experience like no other. As dusk falls, guests can explore outside and allow themselves to be entranced by stars adorning the trees; discover glistening golden rings which emulate the wonders of outer space and witness the majestic deer drawn in by the enchantment of the night sky. It has been such a joy to work with the amazing team at Rudding and see the amazing displays come to life!  

Making the most of such an incredible backdrop, we were lucky enough to host a lovely evening of fizz and candle decorating at Rudding Park. A successful first for Lights4fun, this press event was a memorable evening to showcase our present and future products, share in a delicious festive meal and indulge in an evening of laughter with both familiar and new friends.