WITH Christmas just around the corner, the Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust has announced that it will be introducing a winter skating rink to Prince Philip Park from December 2 to Christmas Eve.

The rink, in the Garrison Pool car park in Budds Lane, will be open for public sessions from 3.30pm to 9.30pm every week day and 10am to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Each session will last for 45 minutes, starting on the half hour during the week and on the hour at weekends. Limited tickets will be available on the door, subject to availability, but should be booked in advance via www.princephilippark.co.uk/skating. Tickets cost from £6 for adults and £5 for children, including skate hire.

An opening night event will be held on Saturday, December 2, from 5pm with displays from local groups, while the last night of skating on Christmas Eve will feature a sing-a-long and skate with carols.

As well as the daily regular skating slots, there will be a number of special skating sessions, such as optional dress-up Disney themed sessions (each Saturday); a relaxed session with low-level lighting and softer music (each Wednesday); under-fives sessions (each Sunday), and teenagers sessions with Disco Darren (each Monday).

The rink is also fully accessible and there will be mobility aids available, including an adapted wheelchair. Refreshments will be provided by the Four Fillies, including homemade cakes, snacks and hot drinks, which can be enjoyed by those watching.

When the rink is not open to the public, it will be made available to school and community groups.

It can also be booked for exclusive hire by private groups for up to 25 people.

Hannah Ashwell, Whitehill & Bordon’s Community Trust manager, said: “The skating rink will provide somewhere for friends and families to come together to enjoy some of the festive spirit. There is something special about wrapping up warm, and skating and is something that everyone enjoys, whether novice skaters or experts.”