A congregation of tractors are preparing to parade the streets of Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin the weekend before Christmas. The festive parade is in its sixth year, organised by farmers in aid of their local hospice.

The Farmers on Christmas Lights Tour will take place on Sunday 20 December to raise funds for Garden House Hospice Care. More than 50,000 people are expected to leave their homes to watch the brightly decorated tractors along an eight-mile route.

Baldock-based farmer Richard Hill is the lead organiser of the event. He has raised more than £250,000 for Garden House from the last five tractor rallies and recently won two awards for his efforts: Heart Radio's 'Heart Hertfordshire Hero Fundraiser Award' and BBC Radio Three Counties Radio's 'Make a Difference Fundraiser Award'.

Richard hopes to raise even more for the Hospice this year: "Last year we smashed £56,000 and this year we're aiming even higher - I reckon we could get to £100,000!

"We've introduced a new initiative for sponsoring a tractor for £250 this year, so local businesses can have their logos displayed in the tractor, or the public could dedicate a tractor in memory of someone close to them or simply because they enjoy the event so much. No matter their reason, it will help us raise even more.

"I don't put on the event for the recognition or the awards; I do it to help the Hospice and for the community spirit. I always look forward to getting Christmas started early."

Thousands of people line the streets of Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin to watch the parade (Photo credit: B G Droneshots)

The route and key timings

Download our Nub News App!

- It’s FREE and available now
- Breaking news notifications
- Your Town in Your Pocket

• 6.00pm, Baldock: Convoy begins in Clothall Road, making its way onto the High Street before exiting town via Hitchin Street and Baldock Road
• 6.45pm, Letchworth: Arrives via Pixmore Way into Norton Way South, up Gernon Road and Eastcheap, before heading straight onto Station Place and left down the Broadway onto Hitchin Road
• 7.30pm, Hitchin: Leads via Walsworth Road, circling Hermitage Road, High Street and Sun Street, finishing at St Mary's car park.

Jean Allinson is Fundraising Manager at Garden House Hospice Care: "We currently receive less than half of our funding from the NHS. It's not right that the specialist care we provide should rely so heavily on fundraising, but as we continue fighting for fairer funding, people like Richard putting on such wonderful community events are, quite literally, changing lives.

"We're so grateful to Richard for his continued efforts and to every single person who donates toward the Farmers on Christmas Lights Tour. Our overall fundraising target is £2.7 million this year to continue providing our services free of charge - that's nearly £7,500 every day - so every penny really makes a difference."

How to support the Farmers on Christmas Lights Tour

• Text TRACTOR to 70460 to donate £5 (texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message)
• Visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/xmastractors26
• Sponsor a tractor for £250 at www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/sponsor-a-tractor
• Apply to volunteer at www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/events-volunteer.

Richard concludes by highlighting the importance of the event for farmers' mental health: "We've had one of the worst harvests on record this year and prices are sky high for diesel and the likes, so the event really gives the farmers something to look forward to as well as the spectators.

"It's a light in dark times for everyone involved."