A HUGE Christmas tree is ready to be moved into place at St Andrew’s Spire, Worcester, for the St Richard’s Hospice Lights of Love event tomorrow.

The 20ft (six metre) tree has been donated by Nick Beard of Leigh Sinton Christmas Tree Farm, who has given a tree to the hospice Lights of Love campaign for the last seven years.

The special Lights of Love evening begins at Worcester Cathedral at 6.30pm where there is an opportunity for people to gather and reflect.

This is followed by a candlelit procession to the Christmas tree in nearby St Andrew’s Spire, Deansway, for the switching on of the dedicated Lights of Love with BBC Hereford and Worcester’s Tony Fisher.

Readers are invited to dedicate a light for love – whether in memory of a loved one, celebration of a birth or for someone who will be absent this Christmas but is still in your thoughts. For a donation of your choice, a light will shine on the St Richard’s Hospice Christmas Tree in December.

St Richard’s Hospice community fund-raiser Alison Weston said: “We are very grateful for the donation of this beautiful tree. It will look stunning with all the lights switched on this week.

“Last year lights were dedicated to almost 1,900 names and with such great support we raised £22,426 towards the work of the hospice.”

This year events will be held in Malvern and Droitwich too. On Tuesday, November 25, there will be an event at 6pm at the Priory, Malvern. On Wednesday, December 3, another Lights of Love will be held at 6pm at St Andrew’s Church (on the corner of the High Street) Droitwich followed by a ‘switch on’ around the tree in Victoria Square.

The names of loved ones will be displayed on the boards surrounding the tree in St Andrew’s Spire and in a Book of Thanksgiving placed in Worcester Cathedral, the Priory in Malvern and Droitwich Library in December.

The dedicated name will be printed in the Worcester News on Wednesday, December 24.

The Worcester hospice, based at Wildwood Way, cares for terminally-ill people.

If you would like to make a dedication, fill in the form or go to strichards. org.uk/lightsoflove or call the fund-raising office on 01905 763963.