A Bristol home bedecked with Christmas lights will raise vital funds for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.
Richard Iles from Winterbourne Down in Bristol has been covering his family home with Christmas lights for the last six years. This year the lights display will be bigger than ever as in excess of 150,000 lights will illuminate Church Road.
Richard makes the pilgrimage to Normandy each year for the commemorations of D Day – the largest seaborne invasion in history which marked the beginning of the liberation of western Europe and France. When Richard found out about the work of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, he decided that the 2024 Christmas Lights extravaganza would raise funds for them.
Richard Iles said, “The village looks forward to the lights display and having done it for the past six years I don’t think we will ever be able to stop. This year the display will be bigger and better than ever. We couldn’t achieve such a magnificent display without help and we are indebted to our sponsors.”
The lights will be switched on at 58 Church Road, Winterbourne Down, Bristol, BS36 1BY at 6pm on Sunday 1 December and will remain on 24 hours a day until twelfth night.
Paul Cook, Vice Chairman, Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said, “As a small niche charity that is wholly reliant on donations, we are incredibly grateful to Rich for choosing to support the Taxi Charity this year.”
Donations to the Christmas Lights fundraiser can be made here www.justgiving.com/page/richard-iles-1731781346558?
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity visit www.taxicharity.org
Sponsoring the 2024 Christmas lights are –
The Building Company Ltd
The Plumbing Company Ltd
BBS Plumbing and Heating Supplies
Yate Supplies
Yate Building Plastics
Bens Demolition
Claridge Scaffolding
Elite Fire and Electrical
Synergy CRS
The Salon, Chipping Sodbury
About the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans
The Taxi Charity is run by volunteer London black taxi drivers and has been supporting thousands of veterans since 1948. It is the only Forces charity that focuses on providing fun and entertainment and arranges free trips (for veterans from all conflicts) to the Netherlands and France for acts of commemoration and days out to museums, concerts, or social events across the UK.
The charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, a remarkable milestone for a small, niche charity peopled by enthusiastic volunteers.
In 2024, the charity took veterans to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and commemorated the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September. In May 2025 they will be returning to the Netherlands for the 80th anniversary of Dutch Liberation.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is wholly reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship.
