Cottam family's annual Christmas lights display raises over £14,000 for charity

The Tipping's family raised over £14,000 for charity with their 2019 Christmas lights display.
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Mark Tipping, his wife Nicola and their children Sam, 14, Joe, 13, and 10-year-old Isaac switched on the lights at their Cottam home at 6pm on Sunday, December 1.

Last Christmas' lights switch on marked the eighth consecutive year of the event, with approximately 2,000 people turning up on opening night.

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A total of £700 was raised on the night for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, Derian House Children’s Hospice, Preston Headway and the Jordan Grant 18 Memorial Fund (CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young), and secured buckets were put out for the rest of the month.

Mark Tipping and his family raised over 14,000 for charity with their 2019 Christmas lights display.Mark Tipping and his family raised over 14,000 for charity with their 2019 Christmas lights display.
Mark Tipping and his family raised over 14,000 for charity with their 2019 Christmas lights display.

Mark has now confirmed that 2019's Christmas lights display raised over £14,000 for charity.

Mark said: "We would just like to thank all those people that supported us and those that made some very generous charity donations for our 2019 Christmas lights display.

"This year we made a fantastic £14,142.50 with gift aid.

"That’s a total of £81,407.50 over the past eight years towards helping the four fantastic charities we support.

Last Christmas' lights featured a green heart in honour of a friend's young son who died in November afterbattlingcancer.Last Christmas' lights featured a green heart in honour of a friend's young son who died in November afterbattlingcancer.
Last Christmas' lights featured a green heart in honour of a friend's young son who died in November afterbattlingcancer.
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"We hope you all have a fantastic year and hope to see you all again in December 2020."

In a tribute to the life of Jacob Willett, 3, who died in November 2019 after battling cancer, the family installed a green heart on their latest display.

The Tipping's were also able to perform a special switch on for Jacob before he died.

A spokesperson for Rosemere Cancer Foundation said: "For the last eight years, the Tipping Family have been adorning their house and garden with an incredible array of festive lights and decorations each Christmas, and collecting donations from appreciative members of the public to give to local causes.

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"This year, their usual thousands of fairy lights were joined by a luminous green heart in honour of a friend's young son who recently passed away.

"The money raised in response to their magical display is now shared equally between us, Derian House, Preston Headway and Cardiac Risk in the Young - and we were delighted to find out from the family that this year's display raised an incredible £14,142.50.

"It brings the total raised by dad Mark, mum Nicola and their sons Sam, Joe and Isaac to an amazing £81,407.50!"

The lights went on every evening from December 1 until January 6.

To ensure visitors’ donations were safe, Mark emptied the donation bucket daily and security company Vuetek, of Fylde Road, Preston, donated CCTV equipment to monitor the house.