Waterlooville father and son set up festive light display to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support
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Decking out their house a few weeks before other people, Mark Duncan from Waterlooville and his 16-year-old son Will are hoping their light display will encourage people to dig deep for the charity.
After just one week of their display being up, they have raised £70 of their £200 target, putting them well on the way to beating last year’s charity collection effort of £137 for Macmillan.
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Hide AdProperty manager Mark, who puts this display up every year for charity, said: ‘What’s wrong with putting the decorations up a little early?
‘Lots of people and families suffer from cancer so it’s a worthwhile charity and charities are more in need this year because of Covid-19.
‘It was my son Will who suggested it. He likes to do things for the community and helping out.’
Mark has made a donation box to sit at the edge of his front garden in Cunningham Road and donations can also be made online at facebook.com/donate/2644880325765441
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Hide AdThe lights are switched on between 4pm and 9pm every day until the new year and donations can be made up until then.
Ryan Howarth, Macmillan fundraising manager, said: ‘Macmillan is facing a huge drop in income due to the pandemic and we rely almost entirely on public donations and the generosity of supporters like Mark and his son Will.
‘I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for raising money for people living with cancer who need our support now more than ever. Their Christmas display will make a big difference to people affected by cancer, thank you both!’
According to the NHS, there are more than 200 types of cancer present in the UK today.
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Hide AdMany of the support services for cancer are operated by charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support.
They rely on fundraising events to collect much-needed revenue, however many of those events have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
According to Cancer Research UK, around 367,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer each year and that makes their work vital for those who need support.