A group of volunteers will continue a Radlett man’s Christmas legacy, as he looks to hang up his Christmas charity lights for the last time.
Dave Press displays around 5,000 lights at his home in Battlers Green Drive, Radlett, every year to raise money for charity Bloodwise.
He first began putting lights up at Radlett fire station for fun, where he was the station commander.
When he left in 1999, the men at the station asked if he wanted to take the lights with him. Dave then carried on the displays at his home.
He was inspired to raise money for Bloodwise after a neighbour lost her son to Leukaemia around 50 years ago.
Last year, MyRadlettNews reported Dave had earned £23,000 for charity since 2003.
Dave, who was initially going to stop putting Christmas lights up last year, has announced this will be his last year of putting the lights up due to health reasons.
But a group of Radlett residents have stepped in to help.
Fellow Battlers Green Drive resident, Justin Morley, started a JustGiving page to help Dave with the cost of the lights.
Justin said: “He puts the lights up to make money for charity, but what we didn’t realise was that he spends hundreds of his own money putting them up.”
On the JustGiving page, which has earned £410 so far with a target of £1,000, Justin wrote: “Let’s keep the Christmas lights going year after year.
“Dave Press has been doing this for the past 25 years, as a village let’s get behind him with the cost.”
Justin also said the community vowed to continue Dave’s Christmas tradition.
He said: “The volunteers are going to keep putting up the lights. We will continue his legacy.”
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