A Welling house has put up an epic display of Christmas lights to raise money for water in Gambian villages.

Jonathan Blake, an Archbishop, has been putting up huge displays of festive lights since 2002 and has been fundraising using the the lights since 2018.

From snowmen, to Santa, to reindeer to candles, there is nothing missing from Jonathan’s Christmas light display.

He has told the News Shopper previously that is takes him almost a month to fit the lights outside his home.

Jonathan said: “Nothing is taken from the donations that are given, not one penny.

"The lights and way it generates, goes out of my own pocket.”

News Shopper: Archbishop Jonathan Blake's huge Christmas lights display to raise money for charityArchbishop Jonathan Blake's huge Christmas lights display to raise money for charity (Image: Jonathan Blake)

Jonathan says he started to display lights, as he has "always been concerned for the world since he was a child."

He said: “Seeing children in villages with no water and are ill, even when I shower or brush my teeth, I always think of the children who have no water.

“I want to make it possible for children to have clean drinkable water, this Christmas.”

He has visited villages in Gambia to ensure that the money donated is being used properly and this year will be no different.

The money raised will provide a deep bore hole and a solar powered water pump for the village.

Jonathan has explained that “the solar panels will pump the water continually into tanks raised high above the ground, that will then feed water to strategically places stand pipes around the village.

“The villages will dig the trenches for the piping, taking the water to the stand pipes.

“Your donations will pay for the digging of the bore hole, by Water for Africa Gambian staff using their drilling rig, the building of the tower to house the water tanks, the water tanks themselves, the water pump, its control unit, the stand pipes and all the piping needed.

“We will oversee the project ourselves from start to finish.”

So far, Jonathan has raised over £1,500 and so is 25 per cent of the way to his goal number of £6,000.

In 2018 and 2019, his light show raised £12,000 and last year he raised over £6,000.

He added: “Thanks to each of you wonderful and generous people who have supported the lights.

“We are so very grateful.”