Nine celebrations will be held across Lincolnshire throughout November and December, to remember loved ones who are missed
St Barnabas Hospice is inviting the local community to remember someone they will never forget at their annual Light up Life celebrations. These unique celebrations are a special time for families and friends to join together in remembering the people that they love, who are no longer with us.
Each event will feature touching readings, music and a time for quiet reflection; candles are lit in remembrance.
Karen Lee, Member of Parliament for Lincoln, has been a big supporter of hospice care since her friend, Denise, sadly died of bowel cancer aged 52. Denise spent time being cared for by St Barnabas Hospice at their Inpatient Unit in Lincoln.
Karen said: “The services at St Barnabas were superb. Denise had spent over twenty years working as a nurse and knew the reputation that St Barnabas had. She wanted to spend her last moments at the Inpatient Unit because she had such confidence in the Hospice.”
Although she wasn’t cared for by St Barnabas, Karen’s daughter, Lindsay, sadly died of breast cancer in May 2011. Karen said:
“It will always be upsetting to remember loved ones, but St Barnabas has enabled such a positive way in which we can remember them. It keeps them alive in your heart.”
Each Light up a Life celebration will last approximately one to one-and-a-half hours. They are free to attend and are open to everyone, regardless of faith. There is no need to book in advance.
Find your nearest Light Up a Life celebration:
- Boston – Sunday 25th November, 2pm – Salvation Army, 59-61 High Street, Boston PE21 8ST
- Sleaford – Sunday 25th November, 3pm – Sleaford Methodist Church, Church Lane, Sleaford NG34 7DF
- Lincoln – Tuesday 27th November, 6pm – Our Lady of Lincoln Church, Laughton Way, Lincoln LN2 2HE (followed by a Torchlight Procession at 7.30pm from Clayton’s Sports Ground, Lee Road, Lincoln LN2 4BH)
- Spalding – Sunday 2nd December, 3pm – St John the Baptist Church, Hawthorn Bank, Spalding PE11 1JQ
- Skegness – Sunday 2nd December, 2.30pm – St Pauls Baptist Church, 19 Beresford Avenue, Skegness PE25 3JD
- Gainsborough – Tuesday 4th December, 6.30pm – United Reformed Church, Church Street, Gainsborough DN21 2JR
- Louth – Sunday 9th December, 3pm – Louth Methodist Church, Nichol Hill, Louth LN11 9NQ
- Sutton – Saturday 15th December, 2pm – St Andrew, Sutton Road, Hannah cum Hagnaby LN13 9QL
- Grantham – Sunday 16th December, 2.30pm – St Wulframs Church, Church Street, Grantham NG31 6RR
One of the Light up a Life celebrations is the Torchlight Procession, which sees hundreds of people carry flaming torches through Lincoln to a special service at the Cathedral, where the Tree of Life stands. Karen said:
“If I was to dedicate a light on the St Barnabas Tree of Life outside Lincoln Cathedral, it would mean a lot to me. I like the idea that the tree is a living thing and it helps keep memories alive.”
If you would like to dedicate a light in memory of someone this year, or for more information about the Light up a Life events, please go to www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LUAL