When someone we love dies, celebrating their life can help us to remember special times we spent with them and do something positive to honour their memory.

Local charity Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care understands how important these celebrations of life are, and has created an area within the gardens at its Hospice in Farnham, where people can dedicate a leaf to their loved ones on its Memory Tree. This Memory Tree, which was created in 2014, is a beautiful handmade copper sculpture situated in a quiet, private part of the garden. From its branches hang individually-crafted, delicate copper leaves, each engraved with the name of a loved one who is gone but never forgotten.

For a donation of £100 or more to Phyllis Tuckwell, you can dedicate a leaf on the Memory Tree to someone whose life you wish to celebrate and remember. The leaf will be engraved with their name and will be displayed on the Tree for a year, after which you will have the option to donate again and keep the leaf on the Tree, or have the leaf sent to you in a beautiful presentation box – yours to keep forever. Each month, staff at Phyllis Tuckwell hold a small ceremony, which you will be invited to attend, to place all newly-named leaves on the Tree. Alternatively, if you would prefer to, you can hang the leaf on the Tree privately and not as part of a ceremony.

The money raised by these Memory Tree leaves will all go directly towards helping Phyllis Tuckwell provide the supportive and end of life care which it offers to local patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. Every day it supports over 250 patients, relatives and carers, but as the NHS/Government only covers 20% of its costs, it has to raise over £20,000 a day to do this.

To dedicate a leaf on the Memory Tree, visit https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/MemoryTree, or to find out about other ways in which you can remember a loved one visit https://www.pth.org.uk/support-us/ways-to-remember/.

Alternatively, if you would like talk directly to our In-Memoriam Officer, Leanne Magee, please email [email protected] or call 01252 729446.