“All I want for Christmas is… a Kenilworth calendar”: How an Advent calendar is bringing joy to Warwickshire
Image by Isabelle Miller
The Kenilworth Rotary Club’s annual Advent calendar has once again become a hit with locals. The £5 calendars have become a yearly Christmas staple in the town, and the impact on residents and local businesses is undeniable. Locals have a chance to win one of five prizes daily, donated by local businesses.
The club have sold over 3,400 calendars this year, raising £17,000 for the community. The Rotary Club has pledged £12,000 from the proceeds to various local charities, including Myton Hospice and Compassionate Kenilworth, with the remaining £5000 to be donated to local schools and businesses throughout 2026.
Image by Kenilworth Rotary Club
Steve Krikler, the lead organiser for the event, spoke about the impact the calendar has on these charities and businesses, “They're very grateful. It makes a difference to them. Compassionate Kenilworth has lots of volunteers, but it costs quite a bit to run all the various things.”
Steve also said the Calendar has become a staple of the community, and that locals love to get involved, “There's a sense of community. It's a nice, friendly little town and [the calendar has] become something of a Kenilworth tradition. People are aware that they're contributing to the community.”
He said how the Calendar doesn’t just impact charities and businesses, but that locals are feeling the festive joy as well, “It's a bit of excitement. Even if you don't win a prize, people check every day on the website to see who's won, and they can see what the prizes are and what businesses have contributed them.”
Kenilworth Castle, Image by Isabelle Miller
Steve also spoke about Malcolm Matthews, the founder of the Calendar. Steve said the idea came about from a former Rotary member who moved to Germany, “In the town where he was living, they had a local Advent calendar. He came back to Kenilworth with this calendar, saying, Look, this is what they do in this little town in Germany.” Malcom took inspiration from this and created the Kenilworth Advent calendar.
Malcolm sadly died in June 2024, but is remembered through the calendar. Steve said, “There's a little tribute to Malcolm. He set it up from scratch, which I think is absolutely amazing. I've been taking it on and evolving it from what Malcolm passed on to me.” Steve also said that calendar 001 is given to Malcolm’s wife as a way of honouring him.
Tribute to Malcolm on the back of the calendar, Image by Isabelle Miller
It’s clear the Kenilworth Advent Calendar is continuing to have a remarkable impact in its fourth year, reaching both local businesses and residents, while keeping the memory of its founder alive.