Gingerbread House Fun: Safe in Sussex launches annual Christmas decorating competitions for businesses and the community

The winning 2021 business house entry from Worthing-based Rayner IOLs. Picture: Kate Henwood

Safe in Sussex has just launched its annual Gingerbread House Fun, with seven competitions to judge in its fifth year.

The Worthing-based charity's signature decorating competition for businesses and the community will culminate in a public viewing at St Oscar Romero School in Goring. Fay Millar, managing director of Gingerbread World, is on board, having worked with Safe in Sussex since the beginning.

She said: "It’s great to be working with Safe in Sussex for the 5th year in a row. We are privileged and honored to be producing their gingerbread kits. Gingerbread is so much fun and it is a good chance for everyone to get creative whilst doing something worthwhile and raising money for charity, too.

"We are very proud to support Safe in Sussex because they are a wonderful charity doing a very worthwhile and needed job helping people affected by domestic abuse. We look forward to seeing what people come up with this year."

Noah with his winning entry for the 2021 children's competition. Picture: Kate Henwood

Judging on Thursday, December 8, will start with the businesses and the public will be able to view all the houses, with entrance by donation. The focus will be on imagination, inspiration and appearance.

The competitions are: Gingerbread House decorating for businesses and community groups, freestyle Gingerbread House for businesses and community groups, adult Gingerbread House decorating, adult freestyle Gingerbread House, child Gingerbread House decorating, child freestyle Gingerbread House and totally freestyle for any age.

For the decorating competitions, entrants must buy and decorate one of Safe in Sussex’s large or small gingerbread houses. The freestyle competitions are for bakers who make their own gingerbread house from scratch. For totally freestyle, it can be anything made out of gingerbread.

Steven Jackson, managing director of sponsor CommPoint, said: "The gingerbread competition provides friends, family and colleagues fun, while raising the profile and money towards the fantastic work that Safe In Sussex does, to give people the power, information and the means to escape from domestic abuse.” Register at www.gingerbreadworld.co.uk/sins-gingerbread-house-competition-2022 or email Debbie on [email protected] for more information.