St Stephen's Chief Fun Officer Willow, 11, kicks off Christmas with light switch-on

Eleven-year-old Willow from Hull had the honour of adding some festive sparkle to the city this week, as she took to the stage to switch on the Christmas lights at St Stephen’s.

Following exciting performances at the free Christmas concert, the centre celebrated the start of season with its annual light switch-on event, which launched the city-wide illuminations.

Joining compère Ed Faulkner and St Stephen’s Shopping Centre manager, Jim Harris, on stage, Willow made memories to last a lifetime as she pressed the big red button and made the centre shine with thousands of twinkling lights.

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Earlier this year, Willow was appointed as the centre’s official Chief Fun Officer after a city-wide search. Her role involved exploring the various retailers and experiences at St Stephen’s, to provide a child’s perspective on all the fun they offer.

Returning to kickstart the seasonal celebrations, the official CFO, Willow, has now shared her verdict on the festive activities on offer at the centre.

From tasting the winter menus at Zizzi, to snapping selfies in the giant Christmas Baubles and browsing the popular seasonal markets, Willow enjoyed a variety of festive activities.

She also visited The Entertainer to try out some of the top toys this Christmas, including Pets Alive, Hatchimals, and Hot Wheels, and took home her own Pitter Patter Pet as a souvenir.

Reflecting on her experience, Willow said: "Pressing the giant button to switch on all the lights was so exciting and I had so much fun testing all the toys at the Entertainer! Being the Chief Fun Officer is the best job ever!"

Willow’s mum Hana added: “We had another brilliant evening out at St Stephen’s, with a lovely family meal at Zizzi and a trip to The Entertainer. Seeing Willow’s excitement turning on the lights made it even more special!

"It’s been amazing to be able to try out the huge range of experiences at the centre in the past few months and there’s now even more for families to do in the lead-up to Christmas.”

Jim Harris, centre manager at St Stephen’s, said: "It was lovely to welcome our CFO Willow back to the centre to help us switch on our Christmas lights and officially kickstart the seasonal celebrations.

"It’s always brilliant to see so many people turn up to help us mark the special occasion and enjoy the performances and the magical atmosphere with us. We’re looking forward to seeing visitors enjoy all the festive fun on offer throughout the coming weeks."

As well as her visit to the centre this week, in her role as CFO, Willow has been gifted the chance to experience the centre’s exciting leisure venues, including Gravity Active, climbing centre Rock Up, Funstation, and Lost City Golf, as well as vouchers and freebies from retailers including Smiggle, Build-a-Bear and The Entertainer.