Celebrate a Life Peterborough hosted at the Peterborough Town Hall at 2.30pm on Sunday 1 December and organised by the team at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, offers a safe space for people to come together and remember loved ones.
Having worked for Sue Ryder for 24 years, Allison has attended many of the charity’s special remembrance events and has seen first-hand the comfort they bring.
“Being there with other people who are remembering someone special, being with others who have experienced the same things as you, brings such comfort, especially at this time of year,” Allison says.
“It is really heart warming to see how the event gives comfort to others, no matter what stage of grief they are. People come in; people hug each other. And it is truly a magical moment when messages are put on the softly lit wall of lights.”
Allison hopes to encourage people to return to the event if they haven’t been for a number of years.
“Even if you dip in and out for a few years, or whether it is your second, fifth, tenth or fifteenth anniversary of losing someone, this special remembrance event is still there for you to go back to, and the team here at Sue Ryder are always there for you too.”
People don’t need to have had any previous contact with or had a loved one cared for by Sue Ryder to attend either, Allison adds.
“Sue Ryder Celebrate a Life provides a relaxed and safe space to be, and it is a good environment to bring back memories.”
“If you’re grieving or want to remember someone close to you this time of year and you have never experienced Sue Ryder Celebrate a Life, please come and join us. It is a safe haven with a gentle atmosphere and refreshments available afterwards. Everyone receives a warm welcome.”
Sue Ryder Celebrate a Life Peterborough takes place on Sunday 1 December at 2.30pm at Peterborough Town Hall, Bridge Street.
The event is free to attend and is open to anyone who wishes to remember someone important, regardless of when they died and if they were a patient of Sue Ryder.
Featuring readings, songs and live music performances, guests are also invited to write a personal dedication to remember and appreciate the life of someone special, which will be displayed at the event.
Limited spaces are available. For more information and to register to attend visit www.sueryder.org/Remember or contact the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice Fundraising Team via email thorpe.fundraising@sueryder.org or call 01733 225999
Sue Ryder offers a range of free grief support at sueryder.org/grief
About Sue Ryder – in their own words
At Sue Ryder, we can’t make life’s most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years, we have been a source of strength and support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.
Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. We are a safe and reassuring hand for which you can reach.
From providing care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need. We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time.
And we seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief – so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.
We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks, or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters.
