A teenage boy whose sister died on Christmas Day has received royal recognition for his fundraising in her memory – by covering his house with festive lights.
Jake Skinner, 14, won BBC Radio 1’s Teen Award this year, which he picked up from Prince William after raising thousands of pounds for cancer charity Macmillan.
The Bristol youngster has been decorating his home with dozens of festive lights since his sister Stacie died after going into anaphylactic shock on December 25, 2015.
Dad Jeff says he’s been putting on the impressive display to raise money for Macmillan for the past few years, after his grandmother suffered with spleen cancer earlier this year, prior to her death.
This year’s display is somewhat different – and bigger than ever – because the family moved from a small terraced home to a four-bed semi about a mile away in Suderland Avenue, Downend.
He said: “He’s raised about £10,000 in total so far, it’s quite a significant sum bearing in mind he’s only 14 years old.
“It’s his display, completely. I don’t need to make it up – he’s out there morning noon and night doing it. He loves it.”
Jake has built up his light collection through donations, but also spends his own hard-earned cash on anything he feels would add to his display.
So far this year’s incredible display has raised more than £4,500.
“This year the massive difference is that we’ve moved house”, Jeff added.
“We went from a relatively small terraced house but now we live in quite a large four-bed semi-detached house, which is, from the front, really big.
“If you can imagine being a painter and he’s got a very small canvas, well now he’s got a very large canvas.”
Donations can be made here:
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JakesChristmasLights
