Dream Christmas wishes shared in competition to win £1,000 East Ayrshire Gift Card

People from across East Ayrshire have been sharing their perfect yuletide vision in a Win Your Dream Christmas competition with a £1,000 East Ayrshire Gift Card as a possible prize.

Topping the Christmas wish list so far is time spent with family and loved ones, with 63% saying that’s their dream. 27% are dreaming of a festive lunch with everyone sitting around the table. A vision of being cosy and warm at home with a crackling fireplace is a dream Christmas for 23%. 22% say it’s the chance to treat those they love with presents, gifts and local shopping.

One East Ayrshire entry said their dream Christmas is: “Spending precious time with family, making memories that will last forever. Seeing the excitement on my son’s face just makes it even more magical. Giving gifts to the special people in my life and spreading that Christmas cheer all makes it the most wonderful time of the year.”

Another East Ayrshire resident said: “This year my dream Christmas would be one to remember, capturing photos with my mum who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She feels unsettled out of her own home, so a Christmas spent in her home with a lot of delicious food, Christmas games and a Christmas movie with my whole family, my Mum, my Dad and my daughter.”

Indulging in the magic of the festive season is a dream Christmas for many, with an East Ayrshire entrant saying: “Being woken up when it’s still dark by excited children. Sneaking downstairs in our PJs to see if Santa has been and finding his snowy footprints, seeing that he has eaten the cookie we left for him, and just taking in every bit of magic and excitement!”

Others are keen to help others this festive season, with one entrant saying: “My dream Christmas would be a morning shopping for delicious treats and gifts for everyone. I would give a supermarket trolley of food to the unfortunate homeless man who sits outside a Kilmarnock supermarket on a daily basis. Followed by treating a group of work colleagues to an afternoon Christmas lunch and drinks in Kilmarnock.”

12% are wishing for a White Christmas, including in East Ayrshire, with one East Ayrshire entry saying their dream Christmas is: “Snow, snow and more snow, twinkly lights and buying beautiful gifts for my family that make their faces light up when they open them! Hot chocolate and Christmas movies snuggled up at home.”

The East Ayrshire Gift Card, part of the Town and City Gift Card concept, can be spent with over 230 businesses including shops, restaurants and attractions, giving people an easy way to support local. It was launched in 2020 by East Ayrshire Council as part of the Community Led Regeneration Team’s efforts to encourage local shopping and local spend in the area in conjunction with local business associations.

Councillor Drew Filson, Cabinet Member for Localities and Community Wealth Building,  East Ayrshire Council said: “The Win Your Dream Christmas competition gives people the chance to have the Christmas of their dreams:

It’s fantastic to see the entries coming in from across East Ayrshire for the Win Your Dream Christmas competition. The competition is a chance for one lucky winner to make their perfect Christmas a reality with a £1,000 East Ayrshire Gift Card, and it’s also a reminder to shop local and support our area. Every penny spent with these gift cards helps support a local business, keeping people in jobs, boosting our businesses and keeping our High Streets alive.

“From shops to restaurants, events, experiences and festive atmosphere, we’ve got everything you need for a Dream Christmas right here in East Ayrshire.”

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept and said: “Over 98% of people in our 2023 survey said they’re keen to support local businesses this Christmas and 87% said they support local businesses to help keep them open.  89% plan to buy at least one gift card this Christmas, and the East Ayrshire Gift Card not only offers support for local, it offers the widest choice too. The winner really will have a Dream Christmas to look forward to.”

The Win Your Dream Christmas closes on  8 December.

Enter the competition free at: www.winyourxmas.co.uk

For press queries, please contact Kelly Topping at Miconex, kelly@kellytopping.com or kellytopping@mi-cnx.com