Candlelight and memories of loved ones filled Guildford Cathedral at Phyllis Tuckwell’s annual Light up a Life service on Sunday 7th December.
Caption: The service was held inside Guildford Cathedral, with names of those who had a dedication made in their memory projected onto the front of the cathedral.
Held to remember and celebrate the lives of those who are no longer with us, the service took place inside Guildford Cathedral. It was led by Phyllis Tuckwell chaplains, Rev Dr Jill Thornton and Rev Gerard Mee, with an introduction from the charity’s chief executive, Sarah Church, and Reverend Canon Rachel Young from Guildford Cathedral. Councillor Howard Smith, Mayor of Guildford, read a very moving poem by poet Clare Pollard, and carols were led by Farnham Brass Band and Shuffletunes Choir, who also sang a lovely rendition of O Holy Night. Vocalist Ruby Skilbeck sang a beautiful solo in We Three Kings, after which came a poignant lighting of the candles, with each candle representing a different area of care that Phyllis Tuckwell provides to its patients and their loved ones. After the service, those present gathered outside to see the names of all who had had a dedication made in their memory projected onto the front of the cathedral.
Phyllis Tuckwell is a local Hospice Care charity which provides palliative and end of life care for patients and families living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. Every day it supports over 250 patients, relatives and carers, on its In-Patient Unit, at its Beacon Centre, and in patients’ own homes and care homes. Its annual Light up a Life service brings together all those who would like to remember someone who has died, whether their loved one was cared for by Phyllis Tuckwell or not. The service was recorded and is available on Phyllis Tuckwell's website for anyone who would like to watch it, at www.pth.org.uk/support-us/donate/light-up-a-life.
“We would like to thank everyone who joined us at our Light up a Life service, for helping to make it such a special evening,” said Fiona Chapman, event fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. “The donations which were kindly given by those who made a dedication have totalled just over £40,000, all of which will go directly towards helping fund our care. Thank you also to Guildford Cathedral for hosting our Light up a Life event, and Right at Home GF for sponsoring it.”
You can still make a dedication in memory of a loved one, by dedicating a virtual star on Phyllis Tuckwell's online night sky. Simply visit www.pth.org.uk/lual to make your dedication and you will be able to view your star whenever you wish. Your star will remain on the virtual night sky until next year’s Light up a Life celebration, in December 2026.
All our services are free, but this is only possible due to the generosity of our amazing community. The Government/NHS only provide 25% of our costs, so we need to raise over £30,000 every day to provide our vital services.
Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available to all those in our community who need us.
