A Christmas-loving family is aiming to paint smiles back on faces while raising funds for a heartfelt cause through their festive lights display.
The family wanted to decorate their Littleport home to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust which has supported them in recent years through the illness.
The man behind the idea, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the family’s first fundraiser is already a success as they decide to go one step further.
“I live with my nan and mother at my nan’s house and we have always had some lights, but this year, we decided to go bigger and better and do it for charity,” he said.
“My sister’s partner passed away from cancer and the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) were very helpful to him.
“A couple of years ago, my sister got cancer and the TCT helped her and she made a recovery, so we want to try and give something back.”
Since switching on the lights last month, residents have been donating to the TCT through collection buckets located outside the property where around £170 has already been raised.
It has taken time to prepare the display, but that’s not all.
“I think this year it took four weeks to put up, and there’s still more to come,” he said. “I found myself out of work at the same time, so it has been good to keep busy.
“The whole family love Christmas lights, so we have always put some up and with it being such a poor year, we wanted to put smiles on faces and raise money for a good cause.”
The family is pleased with how visitors are keeping their distance, including on Saturday, November 28 which has attracted the most people to their display so far.
While they want to raise as much money as possible for charity, it is also hoped many more residents can be cheered up in the run-up to Christmas amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“They are turned on from 4-9.30pm; the number of people is still going up because people don’t know much about them and it’s becoming more and more popular,” he added.
“It’s just enjoyment for the kids to have, for everybody to come and enjoy the lights and put a smile back on people’s faces.
“We will now do this every year, but because we live down a cul-de-sac, I didn’t expect to see as many people as we have, which is brilliant.”
To donate, visit: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/christmasorchard.
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