This year around 6,000 people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be facing their first Christmas without someone they were close to. To help them through this difficult time, LOROS Hospice will hold a Light up a Life event where people can celebrate and remember the life of a friend or family member.
A special outdoor service for the lighting of the Christmas tree in memory of loved ones will be held on Sunday 7th December at 4:30pm in the Hospice Grounds, Groby Road, Leicester LE3 9QE. As the lights are lit on the tree there will be the opportunity to share in singing carols.
The name of loved ones will be entered in to the Christmas Book of Remembrance and will be displayed in the Chapel/Prayer room at the Hospice. To sponsor a light in memory of someone special please contact the Hospice for an application form before 1st December 2014.
With more than 300 events taking place across the UK, the LOROS Light up a Life event is part of the nationwide campaign by the hospice movement to support people dealing with the death of someone they care about.
Jo Kavanagh, Director of Care at LOROS Hospice said: “An important part of hospice care is the support provided to friends and family of a patient after they have died. A Light up a Life event is one of the many ways that hospices help people come to terms with the loss of someone close to them and warmly remember a loved one for years to come.
“Like all independent hospices, LOROS is reliant on the generosity of the local community to fund its vital services. Light Up a Life events also help hospices to raise the money needed to provide care that is tailored to patients’ individual needs and supports their friends and family too.”
Jack (pictured above), whose Gran died at the Hospice in 2010 when he was aged only seven said; “Every year at Christmas time they have the light switch on and friends and family go to LOROS to see it. 5,4,3,2,1, from the dark night, and than a massive glow explodes from the pitch black sky, causing millions of lights to appear. They say each one was a patient at LOROS which, when you have lost someone there, is very emotional. You feel it in the air, the love and sadness, then we sing the carols and the lady in charge says a big thank you to us all.”
LOROS would encourage people to find out more about their nearest Light Up a Life event. The event is for anyone who is bereaved, not just those cared for in a hospice.
For further details contact LOROS on (0116) 2318431/2 or take a look at our Light Up a Life event page.
