Tree of light illuminated in Telford - with pictures
Festivities were turned up a notch this week with a series of Christmas lights switch-ons and seasonal occasions.
Telford’s tree of light is now shining in honour of lost loved ones.
The annual charity fundraiser is well underway, with tens of thousands of pounds already raised for county charities.
About £23,000 has already been raised by the appeal, including £3,000 last year alone.
The tree, illuminated on Thursday at Telford Shopping Centre, is already displaying more than 3,000 names below its branches.
Another week’s supply are still to go up, so more are expected.
A total of 1,540 forms have been submitted by people who want to remember people at Christmas.
Peter Seaward, of the Rotary Club of Wellington, one of four rotary clubs that organise the appeal, said: “It went really well. Dicky Dodd did us proud and had the younger audience in mind, urging people on Facebook and Twitter to push the appeal.”
Mr Seaward said they were delighted with the amount of money that had already been raised.
In addition to the opportunity to commemorate the names of loved ones, applicants are asked to donate a minimum of £5 per name to charities.
Half of funds raised are given to the Severn Hospice with the remaining shared between charities nominated annually by each of the four rotary clubs.
David Lovatt, another of the Rotary organisers said: “It was a really good night, there was an excellent crowd, and we had representatives from a lot of the charities.
“Everyone came away feeling very good.”
This year, as well as the Severn Hospice, the Telford Tree of Light is supporting Shropshire, Staffordshire & Cheshire Blood Bikes, Wellington Cottage Care, Shropshire Disability Network and Dementia UK Admiral Nurses Telford & Wrekin.
Application forms are also now available at Telford Shopping Centre Customer Services, Severn Hospice shops, Wellington Civic Centre, Dawley Christian Centre, Jubilee House Madeley, Truffles in Ironbridge, Oakengates Leisure Centre and many other venues, with the opportunity still open to take part.
Over the past 21 years, nearly £550,000 has been raised with over £250,000 donated to the hospice and the remainder shared between 50 local charities.
Last year alone, the appeal raised £40,000.
