A plea for businesses to sponsor the city's Christmas switch-on event, tree and lights has gone out from Peterborough City Council, with the warning it will not happen without it.
In the budget agreed by councillors for the current financial year there was a commitment to secure sponsorship for the cost of the switch-on event, the Christmas tree and the installation of the lights, totalling £56,000.
It was one of a number of savings proposals agreed by Full Council to deliver a balanced budget.
The council has been trying to secure sponsorship for a number of months and has so far attracted £34,000.
With the council's financial situation as stark as it is - with an overspend in the current financial year of around £11m and a predicted budget gap in 2025/26 of between £13m and £24m based on best and worst case financial modelling - sponsorship needs to be found for the remaining £22,000.
Councillor Mohammed Jamil, Deputy Leader of Peterborough City Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Governance, said: "The pressure on local government is immense and there is simply not enough money to meet demand.
"In adult social care, we received 2,580 new requests for support in the last 12 months. The number of children subject to a care plan has doubled since last year and the number of people coming to the council for housing support as they’re homeless rose 40% in the past three years.
"The demand is rising and we simply cannot keep pace with the budget that we have available.
"If we makeup the shortfall in the budget for Christmas it will mean that our in-year budget deficit is even higher, and we cannot allow that to happen. We have said as an administration that we will make difficult decisions to meet our financial challenge.
"If you are a business and would like to sponsor the event please let us know. By doing so you might be helping to save Christmas in Peterborough city centre."
Businesses that are interested in sponsoring Christmas in Peterborough can email communications@peterborough.gov.uk