Northern Ireland

Co Down couple transforms home into Halloween spectacle for women’s aid charity

Visitors are flocking to the Bangor house to see the spooky house of horrors

A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
A house in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

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.

A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The garden has been transformed into a Halloween-inspired display. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

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.

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A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The Halloween display at the house in Lord Warden Green. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

“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.”

A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The house has been decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

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.

A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The money every year goes to charity. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

“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.

A House in Bangor decorated for Halloween with proceeds going to Women’s Aid.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The spooky house of horrors in the garden of the Bangor property. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

“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.”

The fundraising page can be viewed online at this location.