15 Dec 2025 Community

Light Up A Life a special weekend for The Kirkwood

Each year, The Kirkwood’s Light Up A Life service brings families together to remember those they love and miss. In a quiet, reflective moment during an otherwise busy time of year, people gather to pause, to share memories, and to feel close to those who are no longer with them. 

For many, it is not only a time of remembrance, but a deeply comforting experience one that honours lives lived, acknowledges loss, and celebrates the compassion and care that continues to mean so much to so many.

For many families, The Kirkwood’s Light Up A Life service is a deeply emotional and meaningful moment of remembrance, a time to pause, reflect, and feel close to loved ones who are no longer here.

Denise, who has attended the service for almost a decade, describes how it creates space during a busy time of year. She says, “Light of Life gives you time to reflect at such a busy time of year. You never stop thinking about your loved ones, but this service gives you a moment to slow down. And everyone here is doing the same thing, remembering someone they love.”

For Denise, Kirkwood holds a special place in her heart after losing several family members, including her niece Deborah. She reflects on the care her family received, saying, “The way they cared for Deborah, even after she died. The dignity, the gentleness, the way they washed her, cleaned her, and looked after her. They made sure she was peaceful. It was so special.” She adds, “When you’re losing someone, it’s important to feel that the people around you understand what you’re feeling. And they really do. It’s a magical place.”

Yvonne and Mavis have been coming to Light Up A Life for over 20 years. For them, it is about honouring multiple loved ones and returning to a place filled with memories. Yvonne explains, “I come to Light Up a Life in memory of my dad, my mum, and my Uncle David and now one of my best friends, who I’ve just lost.”

She says the service brings comfort year after year: “This event is all about memories for us. It brings everything back in a lovely way.”

Rachel also returns every year, remembering her dad, Max. She shares how the service creates a powerful sense of togetherness, saying: “Light Up a Life is very poignant and emotional. Everybody comes together who’s lost somebody, and that makes it very special.” For Rachel, the moment when the trees light up is especially moving: “That’s the moment that really gets you.”

For Emma, attending Light Up A Life for the first time was a way to remember her dad, Barry, after experiencing the care he received at the end of his life. She says, “My dad passed away here at the end of last year, and the care he received was amazing.”

Reflecting on those final weeks, Emma shares, “They just looked after him amazingly. It was really, really person centred.” She adds, “Tonight is definitely a very special night for me, remembering my dad.”

Across every story, there is a shared feeling of gratitude for the care, comfort in shared remembrance, and a deep emotional connection to the service itself. As Yvonne puts it simply, “The Kirkwood is very important as an organisation. Really important.”

Light Up A Life is more than a service. For the people who attend, it is a moment of connection, memory, and love shared together, year after year.