A special early evening Service of Remembrance and Hope will be held at Derby Cathedral on Thursday December 9, organised by family-owned funeral directors, Wathall’s.

Wathall’s, which is Derby’s longest established independent funeral directors has organised the memorial service since 2008 – inviting families who have lost loved ones during this and past years.

They will be joined by members of Dandelions Bereavement Support groups in Derby and Ashbourne as well as representatives from local churches, hospitals and nursing homes.

Last year’s event was held virtually but the service has returned – albeit with reduced numbers.

The early evening inter-faith service will include Christmas carols, readings and will finish with the moving poem by a 13-year-old boy ‘My First Christmas in Heaven’.

Staff from Wathall’s branches in Derby, Allestree, Alvaston, Ashbourne, Burton and Borrowash will then serve refreshments and families are invited to light a candle and hang a message of remembrance on a memory Christmas tree.

Managing Director Helen Wathall MBE is the fifth generation of her family to run the company.

She explained: “We are relieved to be able to hold the memorial service in person this year after holding it virtually last December.

“Christmas can be an especially difficult time of year when the ‘empty chair’ at the table is particularly poignant – regardless of how far people are in their grief journey.

“The Celebration of Remembrance and Hope is therefore a welcome opportunity for people of all faiths, or no faith, to remember loved ones and draw on the calm positivity that runs through this service.”

Places need to be pre-booked for the service as numbers are limited.  Please email info@wathalls.co.uk or call 01332 345268.  In line with Government guidelines, everyone is asked to wear face masks unless medically exempt.