Hundreds expected at light up a life event
HUNDREDS of people from across Greater Manchester will be making a very special dedication to loved ones this Christmas.
Thousands of people have taken part in the Light up a Life appeal for St Ann’s Hospice over the last 21 years by dedicating a light on one of the hospice’s Christmas trees across the local area in honour of their loved one, while making a donation to the charity.
Organisers are expecting hundreds more to join the appeal again this year, with every penny donated going towards helping local patients and their families.
The Blanchard family have been supporting the appeal since 1998 to remember their parents and grandparents, Bob and Kath Blanchard. Daughter Irene Hodkinson said: “When Dad was a patient at St Ann’s, he was very content and at peace. Everybody was so kind and so dedicated to the patients. He was treated with kindness, consideration and respect, and they were also extremely caring toward our Mum and us as a family.
“The first Light up a Life service we went to in 1998 was in Heald Green, and since then we’ve been attending the service at Manchester Cathedral. It’s obviously a sad occasion, but it’s also a happy day for us. The family comes together, travelling from London and Chester, and we make a day of it.
“Christmas is a difficult time, and the services provide support for people who need it. It doesn’t get easier but it’s lovely to be at the service where everyone is in the same position.
“It’s also great that we’re able to support St Ann’s in this way too. As a charity we know how much they need the funds that are raised through this appeal. We’ve seen first-hand the impact their care has.”
Eamonn O’Neal, chief executive at St Ann’s, said: “It’s incredible to see all the lights on our Christmas trees in December and to know that each one represents someone very special. It’s overwhelming to welcome so many people from across Greater Manchester as they get behind our cause and make a donation to support our patients.”
The charity, which operates from three sites in Little Hulton, Heald Green and the Neil Cliffe Centre in Wythenshawe Hospital, looks after thousands of patients every year with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses – managing their symptoms, providing support, caring for people at the hospice or at home, and providing end of life care. »»For more information on St Ann’s, or if you would like to dedicate a light to someone special, please call St Ann’s Hospice on 0161 498 3631 or visit www.sah. org.uk/light.