Christmas display raises thousands for transplant unit

A couple who created a winter wonderland in their garden to raise money for a transplant unit have doubled their fundraising target.

Mark and Julie Peacock decorated their home with the aim of raising £2,000 for the unit at Wythenshawe Hospital, where Mr Peacock is on a waiting list for a double lung transplant.

The pair, from Derbyshire, have now raised more than £4,500.

They thanked the public for their support.

Mr Peacock, from North Wingfield, has pulmonary fibrosis - a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes more difficult.

The couple said some of the money raised - through an online fundraising page and in-person donations - would also be given to local Scouts clubs.

Mrs Peacock said her husband - who was diagnosed with the lung disease five years ago and struggles to breathe - was "insistent" they decorate their back garden "as normal", spending about £10,000 they had saved from not being able to go on holiday.

The wonderland included a Santa's grotto - with the big man himself making special appearances at weekends in December, a vast amount of illuminations and a tiny festive town.

"Christmas time means a hell of a lot," Mrs Peacock previously told the BBC.

Mr Peacock added: "We both love Christmas, we've got kids and grandkids and it's marvellous."

In a social media post they thanked everyone who had donated to their cause, adding "we are overwhelmed with your generosity and kindness".

"Now for the hard work to take them all down and put them away," they added.

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