Bright idea to aid hospice

A carol service at which people gave to charity in exchange for placing lights on a Christmas tree in memory of loved ones, was held on Sunday.

Beaumond House Community Hospice’s Light Up A Life service has for the last nine years been held at Newark Northgate station because GNER, the station’s owners, paid for a Christmas tree for the hospice.

The hospice’s charity fundraiser, Mrs Nicola Tyszka, said because this year was the hospice’s 20th, and it was the tenth Light Up A Life service, they decided to hold the service at the hospice.

Donors paid £5 to the hospice for the dedication of a light on a Christmas tree, raising around £1,000.

A record of dedications and messages is kept in a memory book at the hospice.

Mrs Tyszka said as well as GNER’s tree, Mrs Sue McKenzie also paid for a tree in memory of her partner, Mr John Walsh of North Muskham, who died at the hospice this year.

She said around 150 people attended the ceremony, which began at 4pm when the Newark Salvation Army Band played carols.

The choir at Chuter Ede School, Balderton, led by Mrs Christine Hopkins, sang the Christmas songs Do You Hear What I Hear and Holly And Mistletoe.

The crowd was welcomed by the hospice’s executive care manager, Mrs Christine Smith, before the chairman, Dr Peter Jones, gave a brief speech.

Mrs Tyszka spoke about the hospice’s achievements during the last year, such as the installation of en-suite facilities in some rooms. A care assistant, Mrs Bernadette Cook, spoke about what the service meant to the staff, before Captain Tim Justice, the Salvation Army’s commanding officer in Newark, read a short prayer.