A Co Down couple have transformed their home into a haunted Halloween spectacle in a bid to raise funds and awareness for a local women’s aid charity.
Darren and Sharon Sterrett have created the spooky house of horrors in the garden of their detached property in Bangor.
The Halloween display at their Lord Warden Green home has everything from skeletons to a jumping spider and scarecrow as well as a dragon blowing smoke.
The couple, who own a party business Airy Fairies, have been creating the Halloween extravaganza since 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
As well as festive wonderland displays at Christmas, each year donations left by visitors are given to charity.
“The first time we did it, we hadn’t even thought about raising money for charity and people were asking where the charity buckets were,” said Darren.
“Since then over the past four years, the seven displays we have done at Halloween and Christmas have raised £18,000.
“The money has gone to charities such as Air Ambulance, children’s cancer, search and rescue and foodbanks.
“We always try to choose a charity related to something prevalent at the time so this year funds raised will go to Women’s Aid as the issue of domestic abuse and the fact that over the past six weeks, four ladies in Northern Ireland have lost their lives, it makes this all prevalent and we want to raise awareness as well of what is going on.”
The couple, who have two daughters, said they were first inspired to create the Halloween display during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“There was no trick or treating for the children, so we thought why not give them something to look at it, let’s do something more elaborate than just a few decorations,” he said.
“It has sort of snowballed since then.
“The decorations went up earlier this month and will remain until Halloween night when we make up and give out sweet bags to all the kids that come.
“Last year we gave 900 sweet bags out on Halloween night.
“Each year we try to add to it, so this year there’s scaffolding up outside our house so we can do more.
“It’s great to see so many people coming down to see it.
“Every year it keeps evolving and evolving, which is fantastic.”
