City Hospice to light up Cardiff skyline virtually in memory of loved ones

Local Welsh charity, City Hospice, have launched their annual Light Up A Life campaign to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones.

This year’s campaign, which runs until December 31, sees the return of City Hospice’s popular digital feature, a ‘Virtual Star in the Sky’.

The innovative fundraising idea was introduced last year as a safe way for supporters to take part in Light Up A Life during the winter months amid restrictions due to the pandemic. The ‘Virtual Star in the Sky’ platform allows people to make a donation and leave a message of remembrance on a virtual star in the Cardiff skyline in memory of their loved ones.

City Hospice will also be holding a remembrance service again this year, as well as an online event and other fundraising efforts to support the campaign in the lead up to Christmas.

Donations made to the Light Up A Life campaign during the three-month period will go twice as far, thanks to match funding by The Hodge Foundation who are supporting the campaign again.

The funds raised will help City Hospice provide nursing and essential care for its patients, in addition to bereavement support and counselling services for families.

As Cardiff’s local hospice, the charity provides home-based specialist palliative care to patients throughout the capital who are living with life limiting and terminal illness such as cancer, dementia, motor neurone disease (MND) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Liz Andrews, Chief Executive of City Hospice, said: “We’re really excited to have launched this year’s Light Up A Life campaign. We have brought back innovative digital fundraising features like ‘Virtual Star in the Sky’ for supporters to join together in remembrance of loved ones and light up Cardiff’s skyline virtually.

“Our team spend a lot of time with patients and their families in the community and even when their family member is no longer receiving care, we continue to provide families with the support they need. After a particularly challenging couple of years, finding comfort in remembering and celebrating loved ones has never been so important and Light Up A Life is a wonderful opportunity to do just that.”

Karen Hodge, a trustee of The Hodge Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to support City Hospice’s Light Up A Life campaign once again. We hope our commitment to match funding donations will encourage people to fundraise and donate to City Hospice so that the charity can continue their vital work supporting patients and families in the community.”