LOROS Light up a Life 2025 - Loros Hospice

The very first Light Up a Life service was held back in 1995, which means that as we celebrate LOROS Hospice’s 40th anniversary this year, we’re also marking a very special milestone—30 years of Light Up a Life.

Nurse Jacky McBlain, who still works at LOROS to this day, remembers that very first magical evening:

“Light Up a Life was the idea of Jean Riley, one of the first sisters on the inpatient ward. I remember her saying we were going to have a remembrance service outside the front of the hospice. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would catch on. I thought, ‘Who’s going to come out on a freezing December night just to sing carols?’

But when the day came—it was picture perfect. It started snowing. The Salvation Army band was playing, and the hospice cat, Smudge, was sitting calmly by the front door. I remember watching it all unfold on the CCTV from inside the ward, and it was just… beautiful. Spellbinding, really. People standing in the snow, quietly singing, gently remembering the people they’d loved and lost. So simple. So moving.

I don’t think it’s snowed during a Light Up a Life service since, which makes that first one feel all the more magical.

In those early days, the same families would come back year after year. It was lovely seeing how they were doing—watching the children grow up. As nurses, when we care for someone at the end of their life, we often become a small part of that family’s story. Seeing those families return, and knowing how much those memories meant to them—it really touched my heart.

For many people, Light Up a Life is the true beginning of Christmas. It’s a quiet moment to reflect, to honour the people we miss, and to feel close to them again. My family always remembers my dad and my grandparents during the service. Somehow, it gives us permission to move forward and celebrate the season, carrying them with us in spirit.

It’s also something really special for our patients. If they’re well enough, they might be wrapped up warm and wheeled outside to watch the service. Otherwise, we open the windows so they can hear the singing. Just being able to hear that gentle wave of voices—it brings such comfort. It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot.

I have so many cherished memories of Light Up a Life over the years. As more and more people attend each year, I see it as a reflection of just how deeply people value the care they or their loved ones have received. It’s such a comfort to know they feel supported and remembered.

I also love how inclusive it is. People of all faiths—and none—come together to light a candle, share a song, and hold space for love and remembrance. Just like the hospice itself, Light Up a Life is open to every everyone. And that’s exactly how it should be.