Care at Christmas: Walsall family home's incredible festive transformation for children's hospice
A Walsall family have once again transformed their home into a winter wonderland to raise money for Acorns Children's Hospice.
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Nick and Julia Barnard along with their son Ben start decorating their house and garden in Aldridge near Walsall in September in time for the festive season - a tradition they have upheld since moving into the property 36 years ago.
This year the incredible display features hundreds of twinkly lights, Christmas trees, light-up snowmen, and many familiar faces including Paddington and children's television character Bluey.
People are invited to visit the home on Westbrook Avenue from 6pm to 8pm every day until Christmas Eve and pay £1 to watch the front garden light up before walking through to the back garden, where youngsters can pay £2 to meet Father Christmas and take home a festive gift.
The family raised £1,700 for Acorns Children's Hospice last year through their festive light display and are hoping to beat the total this time around with the help of our readers.
The charity, which has a site in Walstead Road, Delves, provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life limiting and life threatening conditions.
Julia said: "Acorns do so much for children and families. We want to help to keep them open with the amount of hospices losing funding.
"We are trying to get as much money as we can for them. Luckily it does go up each year so hopefully this year we can have £1,800 or £1,900 for them."
The mother-of-two said the best part about the festive display is seeing the reaction from youngsters visiting the popular display.
She added: "Some of the children are just so mesmerised by Santa - it is so lovely when you see their faces.
"We are also opening up a bit earlier on a couple of nights so people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism can come along and enjoy it.
"It is hard work getting it all put up but when people come and say 'I've had a really lovely time' it makes all the hard work worth it."
The Express & Star has this week launched its Care at Christmas campaign to help Acorns continue to give vital care and support to children and their families in the region.
It costs £35,000 every day to keep the charity's three hospices in Walsall, Birmingham and Worcester and run its services.
People can donate to the campaign by visiting acorns.org.uk/Star-Appeal
