Illuminate the Cransley Hospice Trust Tree of Lights in memory of a loved one
The festive season can be especially difficult to navigate for those that have been bereaved, whenever and wherever their loss may have occurred. Cransley Hospice Trust hope to provide the local community with comfort, reassurance and the feeling of togetherness to ensure that no-one ever has to feel alone in their grief, by welcoming everyone to their annual Tree of Lights service, held at the Cransley Hospice Trust Fundraising Office on the St Mary’s Hospital site in Kettering on Sunday 7th December 2025 at 6.30pm.
The charity are also inviting supporters to dedicate a light on the Tree of Lights to someone they hold within their hearts by making a donation to support end of life and hospice care for those who currently need it in our community. To make a dedication, simply visit: cransleyhospicetrust.dedicationpage.org/treeoflights2025 or by calling the Cransley Hospice Trust fundraising team on 03000 274040.
Your generous donations will help the charity to make ‘every moment matter’ for patients and their families in North Northamptonshire who are facing a heartbreaking diagnosis. Families like Edwin and Liz Helm, who were able to be married at Cransley Hospice in February 2025, before Liz sadly died just five days later.
Edwin shared the couple’s story with the charity in support of this year’s Tree of Lights campaign. He recalled that initially, Liz was apprehensive about hospice care, fearing the ‘finality’ of it, so she called Cransley Hospice and asked to look around. Meeting the care team immediately put her at ease, and by the end of January 2025 she was admitted.
Edwin smiles: “Liz knew she’d made the right decision when she was admitted. Cransley is not a scary place to be. In fact, it’s actually a really nice place to be! It’s friendly and uplifting and she settled really quickly.She felt comfortable and she knew the team would help her through whatever came next.
“When you come in, you know they’ve read your notes and they know your background. They know you and that is so different to the care that Liz had received at the hospital.
“People at Cransley give their time to you, they’ll talk to you, create a bond with you. If you need a hug, they’ll give you a hug. It was lovely. Within days we felt we had friends here, and that’s special.”
Liz died in Cransley Hospice on the 10th February 2025.
“The hospice really did make every last moment we had together special.”
Edwin is eternally grateful for the experience they had and the care that was received. He asks everyone in our community, “Please give what you can to help other people have the special journey that myself and Liz had at Cransley.”
To read Edwin’s full story, please visit the Cransley Hospice Trust website at: www.cransleyhospicetrust.org.uk/news/edwins-story
Without the support of the local community, this incredible and compassionate care would not be possible. The charity are incredibly grateful for any donation to the Tree of Lights campaign and hope to be able to welcome as many supporters as possible to the very special service in December.