St Columba’s Hospice Care, is today thanking the local community for its incredible support of their ‘Light up a Life’ appeal, which has raised £112,500.

As an independent charity, fundraising is critically important to the Hospice, and without the generosity of the public, it simply would not be able to deliver its services. The ‘Light up a Life’ appeal is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Hospice, and the money raised is used to provide specialist care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Jon Heggie, Director of Income Generation for St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “The support from our local community for this appeal has been truly remarkable, and we are delighted to announce this incredible fundraising total. Each contribution will directly contribute to providing essential care and support to more families at the times where it is most needed. We’d like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has supported the appeal.”

The centrepiece of the appeal each year is the 30ft Christmas Tree, on which people are encouraged to dedicate a light, in remembrance of someone who has died. Despite strong winds and rain, around 500 people attended the lighting ceremony in December, where the tree was lit by Amy and Katie, both aged 5. The Edinburgh Brass Band also performed before and after the ceremony.

The crowd was also addressed by Mandy Murray, the Hospice at Home Lead, who spoke about the Hospice’s new ‘Virtual Ward’ service, the first of its kind in Scotland. The new service allows patients to receive the same levels of care and attention as they would on a Hospice ward, whilst staying at home.