Weymouth’s Jubilee Clock to Light Up for Charity

Weymouth Town Council’s Tourism, Events, Arts, and Festivals (TEAF) Working Group have agreed to offer local and national charities the unique opportunity to display their iconic colours on the Jubilee Clock.

The new ‘Light Up for Charity’ initiative will light up the clockface with colours that represent different charities and will run throughout the year. There will be a maximum of one charity per month, with the clock being lit for up to three days. Each December, the Town Council will ask the community to nominate a charity for each month of the following year.

Earlier in the year, the clockface was illuminated with a blue light to recognise and give our thanks to the NHS and key workers who kept our country running during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The clock has also previously been lit up in green in support of the NSPCC.

Cllr Ken Whatley, Chair of the TEAF Working Group, said:        

“The Jubilee Clock is one of Weymouth’s outstanding landmarks and a proud symbol of Weymouth’s heritage. It is with great enthusiasm that we are giving many charities and good causes the unique opportunity to promote and recognise their charity through this magnificent seafront icon. The Town Council looks forward to receiving and supporting applications from many local and national charities.”

The Jubilee Clock Tower is a free-standing clock tower. It was built and erected in 1888 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria and became Grade II Listed in 1974.

The Clock Tower was originally set in front of the promenade and jutted out onto the sands of Weymouth Beach. In the 1920’s, the clock was set back from the beach as the promenade was extended around it to protect the beach from the encroachment of shingle from the eastern end. The clock tower was also painted in bright colours during the same decade.

The Jubilee Clock lighting schedule for 2020 is as follows:

24th-26th July: Lifeboat Week (blue / orange)

14th-16th August: National Allotments Week (green)

18^th-20^th September: Great British Beach Clean (yellow)

9^th-11^th October: World Mental Health Day (green)

9^th-11^th November: Remembrance & Armistice (red / white / blue)

24^th-26^th December: Christmas Time (red / white / green)

15^th-17^th January: World Religion Day (yellow / red / blue)