Couple bring festive cheer to Milton Keynes town raising funds for charity close to their hearts

A couple from Woburn Sands are bringing festive cheer to their neighbourhood while raising money for a charity close to their hearts.

Teresa and Jason Smith have more than 20 sets of lights on display outside their home which neighbours enjoy while sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine in exchange for donations to the charity Brain Tumour Research.

The Christmas scene features snowman, penguin and Nutcracker inflatables, gingerbread people, Father Christmas, and much more.

Inspiration for the fundraiser comes from Teresa’s older sister, Sue Hughes, who died in November 2015, just three weeks after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour known as glioblastoma (GBM). She was 55.

Teresa, who works at Woburn Sands Emporium, said: “Sue was like a second mum to me. When we were younger, she’d pick me up from school and take me shopping whenever Mum was at work. She was so caring towards children and just a relaxed, calm, placid person who took everything in her stride.”

Sue, of Goostrey in Cheshire, worked in catering and as a nursery assistant before realising her dream of opening a dress shop. It is only when she went for a check-up after suffering with tiredness and headaches that her butterfly-shaped brain tumour was discovered.

Mum-of-three Teresa, whose father-in-law is also now undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, said: “We’ve put on Christmas lights in Sue’s memory for the last six years. She adored penguins so we’ve got lots of them – that’s how it all started really.

“Our neighbours love it, especially those with children. We do it to raise money for the charity. Sue was a childminder and looked after my children, so I know she’d approve.

“We get something new every year. It takes a day to get them all out and a day to put them up but it is easier to take them down,” she added.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Teresa and Jason have created an idyllic winter wonderland, which seems to get bigger and better each year and is a lovely festive fundraiser. We’re really grateful for their continued support and wish Jason’s dad all the best with his ongoing treatment.

To find out more about Brain Tumour Research, visit