On Sunday 7th December, St. Rocco’s opened their doors and welcomed the Warrington community to their annual Christmas Markets with Light Up a Life Service raising a total of £23,000 towards patient care at the hospice.
This year, the lighting of the hospice tree was extra special, thanks to the generous donation from the Brierley family who funded the cost of the tree following the care that George Brierley received this year at St. Rocco’s.
"I chose to support St. Rocco's following the wonderful, compassionate and respectful care that all the team at the hospice provided for my father George Brierley, who left us in October of this year.
The passing of our father brought great sadness to our family. However, it was evident that his passing, as sad as it was, made available an opportunity for another family to experience the compassionate care provided by the remarkable team at St. Rocco's. By supporting. St Rocco's our hope is that many others may be given the opportunity that our family experienced. We found our peace, and hope others do to."- Stuart Brierly, George Brierley’s son.
We would like to thank the Brierley family for their support, and a commemorative plaque has been placed at the front of the tree.
Each light on the tree represents the life of a loved one and the tree will remain lit until Monday 12th January for those close to them to come together and celebrate their memory. As part of Sundays celebration, the Children’s tree was also lit during the service, followed by carol singing from Bewsey Lodge Primary School, and then a service of remembrance led by Helen Horne Funeral Director, Senior Nurse Sylvie Cooke, Senior Nurse Janice Moorcroft, Caroline Baskett Quality and Safety Coordinator, Christopher Moore, Mindfulness Practitioner and Marie Egerton Director of Commercial Development.
The Christmas Markets were filled with stalls from local crafters, bakers, and much more, where supporters could shop for Christmas gifts as well as a Santa’s Grotto and cheeky Elf activities for children to enjoy.
We would like to thank all those who have contributed to this event, including Acts Sound and Lighting, Nationwide Platforms, Walton Christmas Trees, Staff and Volunteers including Alan who supported the Maintenance Team in putting up the lights, Stall Holders and Catering Vendors, Helen Horne Funeral Directors, Bewsey Lodge Primary School Choir, Paul and Karen Pownall-Rigby, The Brierley Family.
If you were unable to make it this year, you can watch the service and light switch on here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_tXhwd2-Q4
You can find out more about St. Rocco’s and the services available here, St Roccos Hospice | End of Life Care
You can also commemorate and celebrate your loved one with a special dedication page this Christmas. Visit https://stroccoshospice.dedicationpage.org/christmas2025 to find out more.
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