WEST Essex and East Herts charity, St Clare Hospice, is set to host a series of heartfelt ‘Light up a Life’ memorial services this December; giving families the opportunity to celebrate the lives of their loved ones this winter.

The festive season can be a very emotional occasion, a special time for spending precious moments with friends and family, and for remembering those who are no longer with us. Their absence can be deeply felt, whether their death was recent, or if many years have passed.

Hosted annually throughout December, St Clare’s Light up a Life services held on the Hospice site in Hastingwood feature music from the Salvation Army band and singing, as participants gather in the company of others who understand. There will also be the opportunity for families with young children to take part in arts and craft activities organised by the Patient & Family Support team, before the Hospice services.

Sarah Thompson, St Clare Hospice CEO, said: “Light up a Life is our annual celebration of everything that St Clare stands for – joining together with families from across our community in honour of their loved ones at the festive season. It is an extension of our care, and especially at this time of year when loss is often more keenly felt, our local communities need a special way to remember their loved ones. We hope you will join us to remember and celebrate the lives of your loved ones this December at one of our heartfelt and uplifting services.”

The Light up a Life services are free to attend and each event is open to everyone, whatever their faith – and are not only for the many families St Clare has helped, but all local people.

The four services taking place at St Clare Hospice, Hastingwood, are:

Monday 12 December, 7-8pm (5.30–7pm arts and crafts for children)

Thursday 15 December, 7-8pm (5.30–7pm arts and crafts for children)

Saturday 17 December, 3-4pm (1.30–3pm arts and crafts for children)

Saturday 17 December, 7-8pm (5.30–7pm arts and crafts for children)

All of the Light up a Life events at the Hospice are ticketed, operating on a first-come first-served basis – tickets can be booked on the St Clare website. There are also details of other services being held at locations across West Essex and East Herts.

Visit stclarehospice.org.uk/light for details and booking.

The six services taking place in the community in partnership with St Clare Hospice, are:

Saturday 26 November, Loughton Methodist Church, 4.30-5.30pm

Thursday 1 December, Waltham Abbey Church, 7-8pm

Monday 5 December, St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden, 7.30-8.30pm

Tuesday 6 December, St Mary’s Church, Chigwell, 7-8pm

Wednesday 7 December, St Martin’s Church, Ongar, 4.30-5.30pm

Sunday 11 December, Hatfield Heath United Reform Church, 4-5pm

St Clare is also offering local people the opportunity to make a personal dedication to someone special in their Book of Remembrance. Names must be provided to the Hospice before Friday 18^th November for inclusion. Supporters can also request Light up a Life Stars to be personalised with a special message of remembrance and are then displayed in the Hospice throughout December.

Just like St Clare Hospice’s care, participation in Light up a Life is free of charge. However, if you would like to make a donation alongside your loved one’s dedication, it would be so appreciated by both the Hospice, and local people who benefit from their care. As an independent charity, St Clare has to raise more than £8,000 every single day to run their hospice services. Therefore, any donation is vital in ensuring their services can continue to run now, and in years to come.

For information about the Light up a Life services, requesting a Star, or adding a name to the Book of Remembrance, visit stclarehospice.org.uk/light or get in touch directly with the Hospice team on 01279 773750 or [email protected]