This October, Dexter Gallop, 12, will transform his home in Queens Road, Rayleigh into a Halloween wonderland. The event aims to raise vital funds for Little Havens, which provides care and support for children and young people with complex or incurable conditions.
Dexter, who describes himself as “…loving Halloween a million times more than Christmas,” has been working hard for weeks to create an unforgettable Halloween display for the community to enjoy.
He said: “I really love doing Halloween displays but until I saw the fantastic display at Great Wheatleys in Rayleigh, I never realised you could do something like that to raise money for charity.”
The young fundraiser says he’s feeling “a bit nervous” about making sure everything is perfect, but mostly “really excited.” He hopes the display will bring joy to local families and raise lots of money for a cause close to his heart.
He continues: “I feel very good about raising money for the local children’s hospice, Little Havens. When I visited the hospice recently, I was expecting it to look like a hospital, but I was shocked because it looks really fun with lots of colour. It feels good to know that I can contribute to something that is so important and helping so many kids.”
Dexter’s Halloween fundraiser has already received incredible community support. Tesco Express Rayleigh has kindly donated sweets for trick-or-treaters, Network London is printing posters and flyers, Mad About Horror and Lights for Fun have donated decorations, and EGR Scaffolding are building the structure so the entire walkthrough can be under cover.
Dexter’s parents couldn’t be prouder. Natasha Gallop, Dexter’s mum said: “This was all his idea and completely out of the blue. He’s put so much time and effort into this and even saved his pocket money for decorations. At his age, to put so much energy into helping others is truly inspiring.”
The community can see the display at 30 Queens Road, Rayleigh from Monday 27th October. The walkthrough element of the display will be open on Halloween night, 31st October. Donations to Little Havens, the children’s hospice for Essex, can be made via Dexter’s JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/page/halloween-kid
Published on 29th October 2025
