Light up a Life is a traditional event in the Phyllis Tuckwell calendar, where those who wish to remember and celebrate the lives of their loved ones, are invited to join us for a very special service of readings and carols that will be held inside Guildford Cathedral on Sunday 7th December at 7.45pm.

After the service, we will be projecting the image of a Christmas tree onto the front of the Cathedral building and 'switching on' its lights to represent the lives of those who are much loved and missed. The names of those who have had a dedication made in their memory will also be projected onto the front of the Cathedral building, after the service.

We expect the service to last approximately 45 minutes.

We would be delighted if you could join us for this year's service - everyone is welcome. This event proves very popular so please arrive in good time to park and secure a seat inside Guildford Cathedral. Seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Seats cannot be reserved.

Remember to wrap up warm and bring a torch if you wish to watch the name of your loved one projected onto the outside of Cathedral after the service.

Parking is available at Guildford Cathedral for those who wish to attend the service and view the projection on Sunday 7th December. Overflow parking will be available at the University of Surrey. Please car share when possible and allow plenty of time to park. Overflow parking will be available at the University of Surrey. Parking at Surrey University is free after 7pm.

To make a dedication in memory of your loved one visit www.pth.org.uk/lual to add a light to our virtual night sky, which you can view whenever you wish, or call 01252 729446. Please note that whilst you are welcome to upload a photo with your dedication onto our virtual nights sky, it will just be the name of the person you are remembering that will appear on the projection onto Guildford Cathedral and in the Order of Service.

You can make a dedication in memory of anyone who is special to you, whether they were cared for by Phyllis Tuckwell or not.

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline to get dedications into the Order of Service and Cathedral Projection is Friday 21st November 2025. Dedications received after this date cannot be included.

The Order of Service will be available to download from our website from Friday 5th December 2025. It will also be handed out to those who attend the service at the Cathedral on Sunday 14th December.

If you are unable to attend the service in person you can still watch it online, as it will be broadcast live on this page. It will also be recorded, so you can watch it again at a later date.

The names are in alphabetical order and will be projected up in a continuous loop from after the service until 10pm. Each loop of names takes approx. 18-20mins.

Do take advantage of Seasons Café to keep warm if you wish to view the projection more than once.

Please also note that different names are displayed on both sides of the front of the Cathedral, either side of the virtual Christmas tree so when looking for your loved ones name, please check both sides.

There is no minimum donation for each dedication, all we ask is that you are as generous as possible, so that you can help us to continue providing our vital care to local patients and families...because every day is precious.

Yes - of course. Light up a Life is open to anyone who wishes to remember a loved one or someone special to them, irrespective of whether they were a patient under our care or not.

The event is fully accessible. Please use the accessible pathways/routes available. If you have a blue badge and require a disabled parking space, please make a marshal aware on arrival.

We are grateful to Season's Cafe at Guildford Cathedral who are kindly opening from 5.30pm-9.30pm especially for Light up a Life. They will be serving hot drinks, including mulled wine, warm sausage rolls and cakes for you to purchase. Phyllis Tuckwell will also be handing out complimentary mince pies outside.

Yes - the toilets at Guildford Cathedral will be open for use for the duration of our event.

Sadly the projection of dedications is not easy to capture and read through a camera lens, so this part of the projection will only be available to view in person on the night.

Yes - the projection of dedications will play on rotation from 8.30pm - 10pm on Sunday 7th December - you are welcome at any point during this time to view the projection.

Yes, this will be the only chance to view the dedications this year.

Yes, the Christmas wreaths are kindly handmade by some of our Hospice volunteers and they will be available to purchase before and after the service at Seasons Cafe. They proved so popular last year, that we are grateful to have them available again this year. 100% of money raised through the sale of the wreaths will come to Phyllis Tuckwell.