The Evening Press is to stage its very first carol service - and we'd like you to join us.

On Monday, December 19, at 6.30pm, we will be holding a service of six carols and lessons at our local church, St Denys', close to our headquarters in Walmgate, York.

The evening is to raise money for our Guardian Angels appeal and to say thank you to our readers for their support.

Lessons will be read by editor Kevin Booth; former editor, now managing director Liz Page; features editor and editor of The Diary Chris Titley; Evening Press Community Pride winner Ellen Willey; and Matron Gill Crampton, of York Hospital.

The Vicar of Walmgate, the Rev Allan Hughes, will conduct the service and read one of the lessons.

And there'll be free mince pies and refreshments in the church hall afterwards, where you can meet the Evening Press staff.

But we expect more people than we can handle, so it is a ticket-only service.

Please apply for your ticket on the coupon printed here - maximum four people per coupon - and return it to us by next Tuesday, December 13. Send your completed coupons to: Paula Homer, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

The names will be drawn from a hat, and we'll get the tickets to you as soon as possible.

The tickets are free but one of the carols will be an offertory carol, when a collection will be taken for the Evening Press Guardian Angels appeal for a life-saving, high-dependency unit for children at York Hospital. So we hope you'll give generously.

We think it will be a wonderful evening for a very worthwhile cause.

Why not join us?

Mr Booth said: "It promises to be a very special night and we're so grateful to St Denys' for hosting it for us.

"I'm looking forward to a real Christmas celebration, meeting readers and

raising money for such a wonderful, local cause."

Meanwhile, apart from the plate money for Guardian Angels, St Denys' is also helping our appeal with money saved on Christmas cards.

Mr Hughes said: "Every year we donate the plate money to a charity. I asked the congregation for suggestions, and a couple of people immediately mentioned the Guardian Angels appeal."

Worshippers at the church usually send Christmas cards to one another, but this year everyone is sending just one card to the whole church. They are donating the money saved to the appeal.

Mr Hughes became the vicar of Walmgate and priest pastor to York city centre 16 months ago.

He said: "It is very heartwarming. What we're trying to do is connect with the local community. Because I'm local, I can walk along the street with the dog collar on and people say 'hello' to me. If they say 'hello vicar', that's good. If they say 'hello Allan', that's even better."

Updated: 11:34 Wednesday, December 07, 2005