A normal family house will become the centre of Christmas celebrations in Maltby this weekend with a spectacular festive display which hopes to raise £20,000 for Rotherham Hospice.
After losing her best friend to cancer, and battling the illness herself, Natalie Price, 39, and her fiancé Darren Limb, 40, started raising money for charities by decorating their house with hundreds of lights for the festive season.
Miss Price said: “I feel it’s really important to me as you never know what’s around the corner.
“I feel very fortunate and am grateful to be alive.”
The official light switch on takes place this Sunday at 68 Grange Lane, Maltby in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and will be turned on every night from 26 November to 31 December between 4.30pm to 10pm.
All proceeds will go to Rotherham Hospice, a charity which cares for families experiencing terminal illness, both physically and emotionally.
In the last three years the family has raised £15,000 for selected charities and are hoping to smash their £20,000 target this year.
Along with the spectacular light show, there will be a DJ, a festive fireworks display, a chance for children to meet the Grinch and write letters to Santa.
Alexander Stafford, the Conservative MP for Rother Valley, will be joining the Limb family on Sunday and has been selected to be the one to switch the lights on.
The family said they have been overwhelmed with the community response they have received over the last years, gaining 32 sponsors to help fund the event dedicating money, time and support to the cause.
Future events raising money for the hospice after this switch-on include the Maltby brass band performing a Christmas concert on the 1 December and a Rotherham Hospice choir performance on 8 December.
To get the community in the Christmas spirit the grand finale will be a two-hour festive celebration with Christmas entertainers which will take place on 21 December.
Over the years, the display have included reindeers, donkeys, and the Maltby Miners Welfare Band. Miss Price and Mr Limb also creatively reply to letters to Santa written by the local children who put them in the post-box outside the Limb home.
One Facebook user said: “I loved taking my kids to look at them lights last year and I can’t wait to do it again this year. They made a lot of kids so happy after a crappy year.”
If you are interested in donating to the Limbs’ JustGiving page, visit Darren Limb is fundraising for Rotherham Hospice (justgiving.com)
