Nottingham family raises £300,000 through annual Christmas lights
Posted on: 28 Jan 2026
A Nottingham family has raised more than £300,000 for charity over the past two decades, through their annual Christmas lights displays.
The Swift family have been organising the Nuthall Christmas Lights to delight neighbours and visitors for the past 22 years, and have now switched off their lights for the final time to take a well-earned rest.
Half the money raised each year has been given to our Hayward House Appeal, to support the palliative care centre at the City Hospital, and the other half was donated to When You Wish Upon a Star.
The 2025 Nuthall Christmas Lights raised more than ever before, with a grand total of £41,824.20 – bringing their overall total to £301,336.20 over the past 22 years. Of this, £179,000 has been donated to Nottingham Hospitals Charity’s Hayward House Appeal.
Tony and Wendy Swift, and their son Adam Butler, visited Hayward House on Tuesday 27th January 2026 to donate their final cheque, and staff gathered to thank them.
The family first began to fundraise for Hayward House after Wendy’s father, John Sheeran, was diagnosed with terminal cancer 22 years ago. John received treatment at the centre and the family wanted to thank the staff for the care he received.
The money they have raised over the years has helped to fund a family room, so that families can have some home comforts while visiting their loved one, improvements to the garden area, to make it more accessible for patients in wheelchairs and beds, and countless other enhancements.
Wendy said: “My dad used to love seeing the few Christmas lights we used to put up outside our house. So when he passed away, we decided to do a proper display to raise money for Hayward House.
“It’s emotional being back here at Hayward House to present our final cheque, and sitting in the exact spot my dad used to sit 22 years ago. I’m very proud to be able to see all the changes we’ve helped make at Hayward House over the years.”
Tony added: “To get to over £300,000, we’re just so pleased. I’m over the moon to see what we’ve been able to help build up at Hayward House over the years, to help other people who come here.”
The Nuthall Christmas Lights have grown each year – with just 14 people attending the first switch-on, compared to an estimated 6,000 people who attended the final switch-on in November 2025, where Nottingham ice skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean did the honours.
Tony estimates that more than one million people have visited the lights over the past 22 years.
Nigel Gregory, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re immensely grateful to Tony, Wendy and Adam for the incredible amount of money they have raised for Hayward House over the past 22 years.
“As a charity, we are currently celebrating our 20th anniversary year, and we’re so proud to be able to count the Swift family among our very first and longest-serving supporters.
“It’s the end of an era knowing that the Nuthall Christmas Lights are now switched off for good, but the family deserve a well-earned rest after the tireless efforts they have put in every Christmas for the past 22 years. They can rest in the knowledge that the money they have raised will continue to have a positive impact on patients and families here at Hayward House for many years to come.”