MAIN Street in Mornington will be getting its Christmas glow-up again, with group The 4 Cs calling for more volunteers to help decorate every one of its 76 trees.
In 2025, Mornington resident Pam hoped she might find enough people to dress four trees along the strip, after several people commented that Main Street had lost its Christmas spirit.
“We decorated 38 trees last year,” said Pam. More than 40 volunteers had jumped on board by December, each claiming a tree.
“Some people knitted, some people crocheted, some people did sewing, or a combination of everything, and decorated their own tree for Christmas.
“The community response was amazing. The people that were involved last year said, ‘Okay, we’re doing it again next year,’ and I was like, well, here we go!” she said.
This year the group has a name to match its purpose – The 4 Cs, which stands for Christmas, Community, Connection and Creativity.
More than 50 volunteers, including whole families and community groups, have already claimed 54 of Main Street’s 76 trees, and Pam wants every last one covered.
The group also catches up throughout the year.
“We meet at different times and have a coffee. People are connecting with each other, so it’s been a really good social thing as well,” said Pam.
There’s no theme for the tree decorating, and nobody hands out a rulebook on how a tree should look, which is exactly how Pam likes it.
“People can let their creative juices flow. People get quite attached to their trees, actually,” she told The News.
Some trees are a weekend’s work, but one of Pam’s own efforts this year took considerably longer. “I’ve just finished one, and it took over a month, and that was every night for three hours at least. So, a lot of time can go into each one, but it doesn’t have to be that complex either,” she said.
One family signed up three generations at once – grandmother, mother and grandchild – swapping phones and tablets for wool and needles, and sitting down together in a way they told Pam they never usually did.
Pam recalls a pre-schooler who was fascinated by one of her hand-made elves on Main Street last Christmas. His mum was chatting to him about a book featuring an elf they’d been reading at home. “He said, ‘Yes, Steve!’ and so the elf got called Steve,” she said.
For Pam, all of it comes back to a simple concept. “Christmas is a family time and bringing people together, and that’s probably one of the most important things for me,” she said.
The decorations go up around 1 December and stay dressed for six weeks.
Pam is happy for people to bring whatever they’ve got, be it time, craft materials, or just enthusiasm.
As she puts it: “Spread the word and the joy.”
People keen to help out and claim a tree of their own to decorate this Christmas can get in touch with Pam directly on 0432 331 518.
First published in the Mornington News – 21 July 2026
