Local charity, Garden House Hospice Care are inviting their community to join them for this year’s annual festival of remembrance.
Garden House Hospice Care provides a wide range of services for patients, their carers, and families facing a life limiting illness. Free specialist palliative care is provided to over 900 adults a year living with advanced cancer, motor neurone disease or other life limiting illness in our community of 230,000 people in North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and surrounding towns and villages of Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. 
We need to raise almost £5 million in total income every year so that we can run our services and we only receive around a third of this from the NHS. The hospice relies on the support of volunteers to help run its services.
Sue Plummer is CEO at the Hospice:
“Lights of Life exists so that you – and anyone else you would like to include – can join us and reflect on precious memories, celebrating the lives of the people we love. You are welcome whether you have a close connection to the Hospice or not. This festive season will hopefully be more normal than last, but we know it can still be especially hard when someone important is missing.
“Every year we decorate our garden with lights, as a tribute to the lives of the people we love and miss, and we hang hundreds of dedication stars amongst them. We open our gardens so people can enjoy the tranquility of the lights while sharing memories. We host a service here at the Hospice too.
“Lights of Life is also a special way to help other families who need our support now, with kind donations from our community going straight towards the care of patients, their families and carers at end of life.”
Tracey Swinburne is a counsellor specialising in children’s bereavement at the Hospice:
“What I love about my work is connecting with people, but connection is something we’ve all struggled with through the pandemic.
“Things feel more positive now; by adopting technology into our service we are able to see more people and we have found that for many, it’s a preferable way to access our support. That said, referrals are consistently high and increasing. By supporting Lights of Life, you will be helping us meet the demand for holistic, emotional and psychological support that people really need. 
“Lights of Life is about bringing people together, providing comfort, and restoring connections, be it with the Hospice, with each other, or with the person you love and miss. By remembering in the way that is right for you, you are also remembering for the future care my colleagues and I are ready to provide to others – no matter what else comes our way.”
Spaces for the remembrance service and garden visits are limited, visit www.ghhospicecare.org.uk to secure your place today or contact the fundraising team on 01462 679540.
