Guildford Lions Club’s popular annual charity torchlight procession and fireworks display in Stoke Park will take place once again, but with a number of important changes this year.

The 2017 Guildford Lions Club’s torchlight procession and fireworks display takes place on Saturday, November 4.

The procession and display will take place on Saturday, November 4, and not the traditional fifth of November.

For crowd safety reasons, the following roads will be closed between 6:50pm and 9pm.

London Road, between the A25 roundabout and York Road / Waterden Road, Nightingale Road and Lido Road.

Traffic diversions will be in place.

Resident-only access, plus disabled parking access to Guildford High School on London Road will be allowed but strictly controlled by the Lions’ traffic management company.

For crowd safety reasons, the Lions ask that wherever possible people do not take rucksacks or large bags into Stoke Park, although it appreciates families with children will need such bags. Random bag searches will therefore be in place.

Free car parking will be available at Allianz Insurance Plc on Ladymead, GU1 1DB and Guildford College on Stoke Road, GU1 1EZ. Disabled parking will be available at Guildford High School, London Road, GU1 1SJ.

A spokesperson for Guildford Lions said: “We believe holding the display and procession on a Saturday is more family friendly, and again with families in mind, we are maintaining the earlier start times we introduced last year.”

Torch sales will be in Guildford High Street from 6pm to 7pm.

The mayor’s address is at 6.45pm.

The procession leaves at 7pm.

MC for the evening, Peter Gordon from Eagle Radio, will be on site at Stoke Park at 6.30pm.

The procession arrives at park at about 7.30pm-7.45pm.

The fireworks display begins at 8pm.

Torches will again cost £5 and entry to the display remains by donation, but suggested at £5 per person or £10 per family, to reflect increasing costs.

All profits will be split between Headway Surrey that provides support and services for those affected by brain injury across the county of Surrey; Challengers, that provides exciting, challenging, and – most importantly – inclusive play and leisure activities for disabled children and young people; and the Guildford Lions Club’s welfare fund that supports local people in need.

More detailed information is available on the Lions’ website www.guildfordlions.com