FIREWORKS will light up the skies above a Darlington estate in celebration of Christmas and a community’s determination to pull together.

Mulled wine, a brass band, beer tent, fairground rides and a sparkling Christmas tree await visitors to festive Firthmoor on Friday.

A Christmas Like No Other has been organised by the team at the Firthmoor Community Centre, who are urging people from across the town to get into the festive spirit at their latest large-scale event.

Santa will be waiting to greet youngsters in his grotto as visitors are invited to see how positively the estate comes together, whether in times of celebration or need.

The event, which is the first of its kind to be organised by the Firthmoor and District Community Association and it follows the annual Firthmoor Live festival, a family-friendly concert that attracts hundreds to the estate to enjoy a day of live music each summer.

The community centre’s manager, Jonathan Dulston, said: “We’re hoping that this event will enhance the name of Firthmoor while also giving residents a sense of ownership and pride about where they come from.

“Since the 1990s, this area has been massively regenerated and we’re trying to attract more people here.

“It’s a great place to live, with a fantastic community and we might be the only council estate in the country where you can see roads closed off as we hold live music events and fireworks displays.”

Mr Dulston said that Firthmoor Community Centre’s staff and volunteers had worked for years to ensure the venue did not have to rely on external or council funding and could stand on its own two feet.

He said: “I think Firthmoor is unique because there’s such a strong sense of community spirit here and the centre plays a vital part role in bringing people together, whether that’s at our café, through helping them to access services, or at our flagship events.

“I think people really appreciate having all of this on their doorstep – we’re just a small charity and everything we do is funded through income generated by ourselves.”

The community centre has a café, dentist and nursery on-site and organises regular events, including long-distance trips.

Festive Firthmoor: A Christmas Like No Other will take place between 3pm and 9pm at and around the community centre. It will end with a fireworks display.

For more information about this and other events, visit facebook.com/firthmoorcommunitycentre.