Special cathedral service to mark 40 years of beloved city hospice

Hugo Stevenson. Picture: Denise Bradley (Image: Archant 2012)

The Priscilla Bacon Lodge (PBL) will hold the Reflect and Remember service on Monday, December 2 at 7.30pm.

The event is a chance for people who have lost a loved one "to come together in a sense of solidarity," said Hugo Stevenson, head of fundraising and communications for the hospice. "There's strength in numbers," he added.

He added that the service was open to any member of the public who would like to go along.

Mr Stevenson described the work at PBL as "total care, not just pain relief." He said: "We care for the mental wellbeing of family and carers, too."

Glenn Springett, a member of Unite trade union, said: "My dad, John, passed away from an asbestos related illness this year."

He said it had been one of his father's final wishes to "end his life in the care of the amazing staff and volunteers at Priscilla Bacon Lodge - we can't thank them enough".

The donation of £1,000 by Unite on his behalf will help with the current campaign to build a new hospice.

The trustees of PBL plan to build a new state-of-the-art 24-bed hospice, which would be built on a semi-rural site close to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

With help from this newspaper, the campaign to raise funds for the project has now reached £4m, almost a third of the £12.5m target.

It is hoped that doors will open at the new site in 2023.

Those leading the ceremony at the cathedral include Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, a professor in palliative care, who will give the address.

Mr Stevenson stressed that the cathedral ceremony was not a fundraiser, and added: "The festive season is a difficult time for many families. It inevitably brings with it the memory of those who are absent."

The heart-warming mixture of carols and readings will be accompanied by members of the Norwich School Chamber Choir.

Organisers expect the cathedral to welcome more than 500 people.