Christmas 2023 at The Vale Crematorium
The Vale Crematorium is issuing an open invitation for local people to visit on Tuesday 12 December to take part in its annual Christmas Carol and Memorial Service.
The festive gathering provides a valuable opportunity for families and friends to come together and remember their loved ones in the run up to Christmas, a time when people can particularly feel their losses.
The service starts at 6pm and will include a selection of readings and popular Christmas Carols, led by a local choir.
It is free to attend, and no advanced booking is required.
Visitors will be able to write personal message tags which will be put onto a memory tree and will be able to post cards, letters and messages in the crematorium’s Letters to Loved Ones memorial post box, which was installed earlier this year as another way for the bereaved to feel a connection with their loved ones.
Cards and pens will be provided prior and after the service.
The service will also include a photo slideshow and anyone who plans to attend can send a photo of their loved one to be included in it.
Photos should be emailed to thevale@westerleighgroup.co.uk by Thursday 7 December using the heading “Christmas Service Photo Slideshow”.
Collections will also be welcome in aid of Dementia UK.
A few days after the service, on Sunday 17th December, the crematorium will also be opening its doors between 10am and 11.30am, inviting its community to have a quiet moment of reflection in the crematorium chapel or its grounds, whilst taking in the natural beauty of its surroundings.
The Vale Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners-operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 40 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.
Manager Catherine Linfield said: “Our annual Christmas Carol and Memorial Service provides a fitting way for people to reflect and honour their loved ones during the festive season.
“For some, especially if they are quite recently bereaved, the festive period is often a time when they feel their loss more.
“This service provides a chance for people to not only pay tribute to their loved ones but also be in the company of other people who are in a similar situation, which in itself can be a source of comfort.
“We know, from feedback we’ve had in previous years, that the service brings some solace and peace to local people at this time of year.
“Our Christmas carol service is open for anyone and everyone who lives, works or who is visiting the communities surrounding our crematorium in leading up to Christmas. Everyone is welcome.”
Christmas can be a particularly poignant time of year for the bereaved, which is why Westerleigh Group is also running a special offer of 10% off memorials purchased between 1 November 2023 and 31 December 2023 (terms and conditions apply).
For more information, visit www.thevalecrematorium.co.uk
