This year’s Burning the Clocks event will be as big as ever thanks to some 11th hour support.

The full event was in jeopardy, with Brighton arts group Samesky needing a last-minute financial boost to put on the full range of events.

The popular winter solstice celebration, which has happened every year since 1995, needed £3,500 for it to go ahead at full capacity on December 21.

Insurance and mortgage group Sieco, owned by Rob Starr – also of The Starr Trust – stumped up the cash.

Mr Starr, who loves the event, said: “I heard this week that Samesky were in need of some last-minute funding.

“Because Burning the Clocks is such a wonderful family event involving local young people and so integral to the Brighton events calendar, I wanted to contribute immediately.

“Getting young people involved in arts and culture is so important to me and also one of the many reasons I founded and chair my own charity The Starr Trust.

“Our main objective is to champion young people and help them get involved and achieve their goals and so it is for activities such as this that I wanted to be supportive.”

The team behind Burning the Clocks is now able to press ahead for a superb event on Brighton beach.

Artistic director John Varah said: “This is such an amazing and generous contribution.

“We are all overwhelmed and so excited about our 2013 parade.”

Burning the Clocks is a community event that features more than 2,000 children, parents and teachers taking part in the procession and up to 20,000 spectators.

The event is held to mark the shortest day of the year.

Residents make their own paper and willow lanterns and after parading through the city, they pass them into a blazing bonfire on Brighton beach, as a symbol of the year’s end.

The Starr Trust awards grants of up to £5,000 to individuals aged ten to 18.

For more information visit www.starrtrust.com.