Hampshire family fundraising with house light display

Clare and Stephen Kinnear have decorated their home on Goldcrest Way to create an enormous light and music display.

The display will be switched on at 4.30pm on Friday, December 1, and will run everyday from 4.30pm until 8pm playing Christmas music and showing light shows until Christmas day itself. It will then continue until New Year’s Day playing an array of pop hits instead.

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The Kinnear's have been decorating their house with Christmas lights for almost 8 years (Image: Clare Kinnear)The couple started decorating their house every festive season following a family trip to Orlando, Florida in 2015. Eight years later, the family are continuing the tradition, with their display now featuring more than 20,000 lights.

Clare explained to the Chronicle: “We add to it every year, adding new lights, props and sequences. It’s just grown and grown. This year we’ve added beams to the top of the house as well, so you should be able to see it from the other side of the village!

“My husband saw the American way of light decoration, such as sequencing lights to music, and we started off doing it. In the last two years or so he has started sequencing the music to go along with the lights. Two or three years ago we also added in a snow machine, and these little bits that kids end up enjoying. It’s great fun!”

The family started collecting money for charity a few years ago, raising funds for causes they had a personal connection with. This year, they are fundraising for Broadlands Riding for Disabled Children and Adults (Medstead).

Clare said: “It started from what other people were doing. We were getting a bit of a following, people were coming to see the house, and people were coming from Basingstoke, Farnham, Winchester, and all around not just locals. We kept getting asked, ‘Who are you donating to?’. Like the lights, it’s grown every year, and we try to raise more every year.

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L-R: Clare and Steven Kinnear (Image: Clare Kinnear)“The local community in Four Marks and the parish council have been amazing with their support, so we wanted to do a local charity this year. Our daughter who has disabilities has been riding and volunteering with the local RDA horse charity in the next village for nearly two years now, and it’s basically completely changed her life.

“Before she didn’t know what she wanted to do, she was out of the school system, she had zero confidence with autism and learning difficulties, and she has gone from that to now being able to communicate with people, she’s helping and volunteering at the stables and assisting with lessons.

“It’s a wonderful place, and we wanted to support them this year.”

To find out more about the fundraiser or donate, visit justgiving.com/page/kinnearschristmaslightdisplay.