Scottish Catholic Observer

If there’s such a thing as the busiest period in the hectic calendar at St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, it takes place over the coming weeks as we head towards the festive season. Later this month, loved ones will be remembered during the Light Up a Life service on Sunday, November 29, at the Hospice in East Barns Street, Clydebank, with each light on the Christmas Tree at the Hospice being sponsored in memory or in honour of much loved relatives and friends.

The lighting ceremony, which holds a special place in the hearts of many people, has been very well-attended in previous years and the lights on the tree will remain on continuously from the lighting ceremony, which starts at 6.30pm, until Wednesday, January 6.

As well as helping the hospice provide care for people living with life-limiting illness, Light Up A Life gives support to families and friends at Christmas-time in remembering at this special time of year. Those taking part by donating will also have a Christmas card sent to them or a chosen family member or friend, confirming that a light on the tree has been dedicated to their loved one, whose name will appear on the card.

The Christmas Bus, meanwhile, will begin its annual tour on Friday, November 27 until Christmas Eve, with dates for collections including Glasgow City Centre and areas in the local community.

Volunteers taking part on the Christmas Bus will board the bus at the Hospice on a daily basis and don a Christmas costume before being transported to the various locations to raise awareness and fundraise through bucket collections.

Anyone who can afford a few hours in the run-up to the festive season to take part in this campaign, which is both a lot of fun and extremely important, would be gratefully welcomed.

In recent weeks, several other important fundraisers and initiatives have also taken place, not least the fantastic Sapphire Ball at the end of last month.

After months of meticulous preparation, the event—which marked the hospice’s 65th anniversary year— lived up to all expectations. More than 300 guests were treated to a glittering night of entertainment at Glasgow’s Radisson Blu Hotel on what proved to be an unforgettable way to mark such an important year for hospice supporters. And the huge attendance, allied to the outstanding singers on stage and the high-calibre auction and raffle prizes, contributed to a feeling that the annual ball—among the most important fundraisers on the hospice calendar—continues to grow in stature.

After a sparkling reception to welcome them to the venue, guests enjoyed a superb four-course meal to the soundtrack of classical singer Nicole Vasey and easy listening pianist, Alex Graham. Up next were the talents of former reality TV stars Michelle McManus—who performed her highly-rated comedy and singing routine —and Darius Campbell, whose super-smooth throwback vocals had the dance floor packed. Regular Hospice event performers the Singer Swingers also took the stage, but only after they surprised guests by dressing as waiters before bursting into song as they mingled among the tables.

During and after the meal, a host of fundraising activities, including heads and tails, a raffle and a tombola—as well as an auction and silent auction— offered a chance to win an array of fantastic items or prizes including a holiday, unique diamond jewellery, a limited edition painting and a football shirt signed by FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. And ensuring it all ran smoothly was host Peter Martin, whose sharp-witted, but perfectly-pitched interjections, were the perfect accompaniment to the high-energy vibe in the room.

But while the theme of the evening was all about celebration, a poignant video shown immediately before dinner reminded those in attendance of the importance of the hospice’s work and what it means to people in the community. Board member Laura Millar—whose mother passed away at St Margaret of Scotland Hospice —also delivered a passionate speech to open proceedings and applauded the achievements of Hospice Chief Executive Sr Rita Dawson after the award of her MBE earlier this year.

There have been several other activities taking place at the hospice to aid fundraising and enhance links to personal and corporate supporters. One of those was the Here We Grow Again Garden Project, arranged between the hospice and three major financial services institutions—a new volunteering initiative to benefit all parties involved. Barclays, Morgan Stanley and National Australia Bank sent teams of volunteers to renew the spring/summer plants and replant winter plants on the grounds over four dates earlier this month. Among other tasks, the 36 people who took part helped the maintenance and gardening team with building trellises and planting bulbs.

“We would like to thank the companies and their staff for helping us in this new project,” Sr Rita said. “The gardens are looking beautiful and we greatly appreciate the wonderful effort made by them to maintain the gardens throughout the year for the benefit of patients and families.

“We also hope the experience of volunteering for such an important local charity has been a useful one for all of the participants.”

Elsewhere, regular bag-packing and other activities have continued with the support of local supermarkets and shops, in particular Tesco in Knightswood, M&S in Milngavie and the B&M stores in Drumchapel and Dumbarton.

Among many other commendable efforts, the hospice would like to thank staff nurse Colette McNeill and colleague Fiona Morrison for performing a skydive to raise funds for the hospice.

We would also like to express our gratitude to the musicians and organisers of a tribute concert of Late Summer Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for David Munro, a former teacher and musician who sadly passed away at the hospice in June. All participants waived their fees so that the sums raised could be allocated to St Margaret of Scotland Hospice.

And in recent days, we have been reaching out to our social media audience for ‘To Absent Friends’ week. Each night, we have posted an image containing a message of hope and remembrance for all those who have lost loved ones.

— Light Up a Life forms are available from the hospice or by phoning 0141 435 7018 or through the hospice website: http://www.smh.org.uk