Pictures and video: Telford Tree of Light launched

Crowds gathered to see this year's tree unveiled, as the Salvation Army Band played carols.

Organised by Rotarians from Ironbridge, Telford Centre, Wellington and The Wrekin, the Telford Tree of Light has now been running for 20 years.

Peter Seaward, chairman of Telford Tree of Light and Wellington Rotary Club, said last year had been a record-breaking year, but this year was set to be bigger and better than ever before.

Since its inception, the tree has raised £460,000 and the groups are hoping to reach £500,000.

The tree displays names each festive season as a memorial to lost loved ones.

At the switch-on of the tree yesterday last night Mr Seaward told the crowds that the tree had already raised £20,000 - already half of what is needed for them to reach their total aim of £500,000 over 20 years.

It is the first time the group have reached £20,000 before the tree's launch.

In a speech, he said there are 2,500 names around the base of the tree already from the first 900 applications received, with 300 yet to be sorted, with more names to be added up until Christmas.

The tree was switched on both by Mr Seaward and Tom Watkins, head coach of the Telford Tigers Ice Hockey team.

Mr Seaward said: "It has been great.

"I'm very proud of the amount that has been raised so far, we're well on target to get the half million.

"We've tried a number of new initiatives so far, like going into schools to get the young people involved with remembrance and the new application forms."

All the money raised from the tree will go to the Severn Hospice, Telford MS Support Group, the 2nd Wellington Scout Group and the Coronary Care Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital, which have been chosen by the various groups involved with the tree.

Lucy Ruff, fundraising manager from the Severn Hospice, said: "We're so grateful to be the main beneficiary of the Telford Tree of Light.

"The amount raised so far is incredible, we're so pleased.

"People are also loving the redesign of the tree, I was speaking to a lady after the switch-on and she said she felt like she could really pick a light to be hers this year because they are so twinkly and I thought that was lovely."

The Tree of Light has been slightly updated this year thanks to the work of Louisa Golden and Jasimran Hayer, two students from the University of Birmingham.

While working with Cap Gemini earlier this year, they were tasked with coming up with suggestions of how to modernise the Tree of Light and suggested the new Christmas card-style application forms and the design of the names at the base of the tree.

Louisa said: "We came up with the new banner and the idea to go into schools and talk with the children.

"It was just ways to modernise it slightly."

Jasimran said: "All we did was make some recommendations so to see what it followed through and that they have created this is fantastic.

"We're grateful for the opportunity the club gave us."

Names are displayed on lists around the Tree of Light in Telford Shopping Centre, at Wellington Market and in the windows of Tranter Lowe's offices in Oakengates and Dawley, and inside Truffles Café in Ironbridge.

Names are also displayed on the Tree of Light website and in the Telford Journal. More than £38,000 was raised through the appeal last year.

This year the process had changed slightly, with the application now being sent out with the greetings card.

• For all the information visit www.telfordtreeoflight.org.uk