Oxton homes’ charity light show after neighbour given life-changing diagnosis

Kind-hearted residents in Oxton who put on a Christmas lights display to bring neighbourhood cheer have got an extra-special reason for the festive illuminations this year.

Any money raised by ‘Lighting Up Templemore Road’ in Oxton will go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, after one of their neighbours was diagnosed with the condition just months ago.

Ian Crombie, who helps organise the fundraising, says: “It’s just been fantastic.

“The lights have brought so much joy and happiness into the lives of lots of people in the area and it’s raising money for such a good cause.

“We are getting a lot of great comments and feedback, and kids – and adults – are having fun walking up and down the road looking at them and enjoying them.”

A JustGiving page to collect the charity funds has set a target of £2,500, and with almost two weeks still to go until Christmas it’s already close to the fundraising goal.

“So who knows,” smiles Ian, “we might even get to £3,000 – or more – which will be magnificent.”

Residents on Templemore Road began putting up Christmas lights about 10 years ago shortly after Ian moved in, but it was nothing like it is now.

Explaining how it all started, Ian adds: “I have a friend I’ve known for about 30 years who lives next door but one and we both like Christmas decorations and lights, and it started to get competitive between us – and then the neighbour in between got roped in too.”

More and more people started putting lights up, but it was during the pandemic when it really escalated.

“During the last few Christmases and Covid it’s really come to life and built up.

“We set up a WhatsApp group for the road during lockdown to keep spirits up and make sure everyone was okay, and it was through that that everyone was saying how much they were looking forward to Christmas and getting the lights out. 

“So we just said, why don’t we go all out and try to raise money for charity too? So we did.”

In 2020 Light Up Templemore Road raised £2,500 for Wirral Hospice, and the same amount for Claire House last year.

This year it was agreed that the charitable cause would be the MND Association: “Another good friend who lives on the road was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease earlier this year and so I approached him asking if he would mind if we raised funds for that,” Ian goes on. “And, of course, everyone has really got behind it because it’s a cause close to all our hearts, and we’ve all got lights up.”

Motor Neurone Disease is a degenerative condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness, often with visible wasting.

MND happens when specialist nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (motor neurones) stop working properly and die prematurely. 

Former Leeds Rhinos rugby player Rob Burrows is currently campaigning to raise awareness of MND after being diagnosed with the disease in 2019.

Although now ‘a prisoner in my own body’ after the illness has taken its hold, the sports hero says he will carry on campaigning to show how brutal and devastating MND is, and how it affects not just the sufferer, but everyone around them.

“Although I knew about Motor Neurone Disease, it didn’t touch me or impact me until my friend was diagnosed,” says Ian. “And then I watched the documentary with Rob Burrows and learned what an awful disease it is, so anything we can do for the Association is worthwhile.”

Ian says the number of people going to look at the lights in the road this year has grown and grown, and he adds: “We were a little concerned about doing the lights this year with the cost of living crisis but they are all LED lights and low cost – mine cost 60p a day to run!

“People say it’s one of the events they can all look forward to, and it brings so many smiles to so many faces. The lights bring happiness and joy into people’s lives – and that, of course, is what we get out of it too!” 

“Everyone has been so generous this year and, with current times so tough, we appreciate it more than ever.”

You can donate to the Just Giving page here.