Peterborough comes together to celebrate absent friends and family at Christmas

There were heartfelt messages as a special and emotional service to celebrate life was held at The Cresset last week

Sue Ryder Celebrate a Life Peterborough took place in Bretton on December 6 and provided the opportunity for people to celebrate the lives of loved ones.

The event was led by Sue Ryder Spiritual Care Lead Mark Burleigh and included readings, poems and performances from Peterborough Rock Choir and bagpiper Tom Fleming.

There was also an opportunity to make a dedication in memory of someone special, which were displayed on a Celebrate a Life wall.

Cheyenne Smith, Interim Regional Head of Hospice Fundraising at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: “It was a very moving evening, where we were able to stop and pay tribute to the lives of friends and family who have died.

“It was wonderful to see so many people from Peterborough join us for an evening of reflection and we hope it gave people space to have the lives of their loved

ones acknowledged.”

Those unable to attend the event can still leave a personal dedication in memory of loved ones on Sue Ryder’s online dedication wall at https://sueryder.dedicationpage.org/celebrate-a-life

The service was known as ‘the Lights of Love’ in previous years, and for many is one of the most important dates around the Christmas period, as absent friends and loved ones are remembered, and money is raised for Sue Ryder’s Thorpe Hall Hospice.