Herts couple transform home into winter wonderland for charity
Kevin Glogner and Hugh Metzger have lit up their home in aid of The Children's Society
A couple in Hertfordshire have transformed their cottage into a winter wonderland to raise money for charity.
For the third year in a row landscape gardener Kevin Glogner and hairdresser Hugh Metzger have lit up their home in aid of The Children's Society.
Previous years saw the couple deck out their home on Hare Street, Buntingford with displays themed around pink unicorns and hope.
This year, they've opted for a woodland winter wonderland: "Lots of deer, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs, owls, and lots of stars. Really just to make people smile as they travel by", said Kevin.
He continued: "It really starts quite a few months in advance. We have to figure what we're going to do and order all the bits and pieces that we need for our display. I would say it takes about four days to decorate the front of the house."
Last year's decorations raised over ÂŁ3,000 for The Children's Society thanks to their neighbours and passers-by.
This year, the couple have raised almost ÂŁ900 via their JustGiving page, as well as collection buckets. They're hoping there's still time to reach their ÂŁ3,000 target.
This year the cost of living crisis put plans in doubt but according to Kevin, the couple knew they had to figure it out.
"In July when we were having to make a decision on the display, we did have to think about whether we could actually afford to carry out the display. It's not just the setting up of it, it's the electric to keep all the lights on. But we decided we had no choice."
The couple even took to selling personal items they no longer needed to ensure they could buy the decorations and keep the lights running all month.
Hannah Ratcliffe, from The Children’s Society in the East of England, said: “We are incredibly thankful to Kevin and Hugh for supporting our work in this way and the generosity and support of the local community too.
“We wouldn’t be able to help so many children and young people with challenges in their lives and offer them hope for the future without the incredible support of members of the public.”
In Hertfordshire and Essex, the charity’s Inside Out programme provides coaching for 14-17-year-olds in care, helping to stabilise their placements, reduce the risks they face and improve their wellbeing.