Ellenor hospice's Lights for Love service will still shine bright this year but online.

In a year where so many have experienced separation and loss, people are invited to be part of the remembrance service while supporting the invaluable care that the Gravesend hospice has given to local families across Kent throughout this crisis.

ellenor hospice’s Lights of Love service will be taking place virtually this year instead of at Coldharbour Road, Gravesend, which means anyone with internet access can watch when it is aired on the charity’s Facebook and YouTube channels at 6pm on Saturday, December 12.

Ben Cooper, chaplain at ellenor, said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone in our community. Never has the importance of our own loved ones been more obvious to us than over the last few months.

"Our Lights of Love service is a very important time for everyone at ellenor – we think about those we have loved and lost, and we share our grief with others.

"We all draw strength from sharing these moments together, from realising that we are part of a wider family, all going through the same journey. But we also celebrate the very special place they had in our lives.”

The virtual service will still include readings and traditional music, as well as a moment of reflection, when all those watching can see the Lights of Love being switched on the large Christmas tree at the hospice. Each light will shine in memory of someone special.

Ben added: “This years’ service will be the most important one we’ve ever held. Unfortunately, we cannot invite you to the hospice as we normally would but hope that you will join this year’s Lights of Love service online – everyone in our community is welcome and together, we can celebrate the lives of special people.”

To dedicate a light on the Christmas tree in memory of your loved one, visit www.ellenor.org/lights-of-

love or call the Supporter Care Team on 01322 626509, and ellenor will also send you a Lights of Love

Service Pack, which will include your Order of Service and candle to light of home during the service.

Ben said: “Community is at the heart of what we do here at ellenor, and we have continued to provide vital care and support to patients and their families across Kent and Bexley, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. We are already starting to see an increased demand for our bereavement services, and we expect that to continue to rise in the coming months. By opening our Lights of Love Service up to the online community, we hope to be able to reach more bereaved individuals, giving them an opportunity to join us in celebrating the life of someone special. The work we do here at ellenor is made possible thanks to the generosity of our communities, who make donations through events such as our Lights of Love Service.”

The hospice service provides care for adults living in Gravesham, Dartford and Swanley either in their own home, at the hospice in Gravesend or a local care home.

Children’s hospice care is provided in the comfort of the family home and spans across North and West Kent and the London borough of Bexley.

Read more: All the latest news from Gravesend

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