Christmas 2023 at West Suffolk Crematorium
West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium is issuing an open invitation for local people to visit on Wednesday 13 December to take part in its annual Christmas Carol and Memorial Service.
The festive gatherings provide 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 seasonal service runs between 7pm and 8pm in St Edmunds Chapel and will include a selection of readings and popular Christmas Carols, with the local Salvation Army Band in attendance, with refreshments being available after the service.
It is free to attend, but those intending to attend are asked to email the crematorium on westsuffolk@westerleighgroup.co.uk or call 01284 755118.
Visitors will be able to write personal messages onto tags which will be placed on a memory tree and during the service they will be able to light a candle.
Visitors will also 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.
West Suffolk Cemetery & 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 Claire Butcher 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.”
Those who are unable to attend on the night but wish to view the service as a live webcast should visit https://events.obitus.com/ , enter the username ‘westsuffolk’ and the password ‘star'.
For those not able to watch it live, or those who attend but who would like to see it again, the service will be available to view online as a ‘watch again’ option, using the same details above, from Friday 15 December, for 28 days.
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. westsuffolkcrematorium.co.uk
