Eco-song aims for Christmas number one

An organisation that educates children about the environment is bidding to hit the number one spot in the Christmas charts with a song encouraging people to have a green festive season.


Snip and Clip Productions, based in Hertford, carries out school visits and live performances to teach children about topics such as climate change and sustainability using its cartoon characters Snip and Clip.

The company decided to write and release its Christmas single Santa’s Beard to spread its green message further and publicise its work in an attempt to secure sponsorship to expand its activities.

After Capital Radio picked up the song in October and decided to back it, Snip and Clip Productions are now aiming to reach the top of the charts – despite knowing they will face competition from this year’s X Factor winner.

Steven Johnson, who runs the company and wrote Santa’s Beard, said he was optimistic they could be the Christmas number one.

He told Edie: “I think the chances are pretty good. I think if we can get the publicity, we are very high up there.”

Mr Johnson said he wanted to encourage people to make small changes to their habits to be more green at Christmas, such as turning off unnecessary lights, making more journeys on foot, and decorating their homes with objects from nature rather than plastic tinsel.

He said: “We are pushing the ‘have a green Christmas’ message. Because we are using the characters, the children will pick it up.

“People may not change this year, but perhaps by next year we could move towards a more green Christmas.

“I don’t want to lecture about how people should do it. I think everyone will decide what to do.”

The single is released on December 3 and Snip and Clip Productions will be staging a live performance of the song outside HMV on London’s Oxford Street on December 1.

To listen to the single, visit the Snip and Clip website.

Kate Martin

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