FOR many of us Christmas is a time for celebrating with our friends and loved ones and for others it s a time tinged with sadness as we remember absent friends and family members who are no longer with us. Marie Curie Cancer Care will be holding a Light

FOR many of us Christmas is a time for celebrating with our friends and loved ones and for others it's a time tinged with sadness as we remember absent friends and family members who are no longer with us.

Marie Curie Cancer Care will be holding a 'Lights to Remember Service' at Thaxted Parish Church on Thursday December 3 at 7pm.

The remembrance service will be led by Rev Raymond Taylor there will be an opportunity for all present to light candles in memory of loved ones.

Donations will be collected in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Essex Nursing Appeal which is aiming to raise �450,000 this year to fund its 63 Marie Curie Nurses who are working throughout Essex.

Celia Edwards from Dunmow will be lighting a candle in memory of her husband who died last year.

She told the Broadcast: "I was exhausted, even though I was capable I felt very much alone, I was tired and frightened. My husband wanted to be at home. Then a friend suggested Marie Curie Nursing Service might be able to help, as they are known for 'hands on help'.

"From the moment Marie Curie Nursing Service was involved with my darling husband's care, I literally felt a warmth of support wrapped around us. The Marie Curie Nurse eased our situation at our weakest time. I can't thank them enough."

Marie Curie Cancer Care knows that having the choice to remain at home at Christmas is especially important and their nurses will be working all over the festive period, including Christmas day, giving hundreds of families the chance to spend one last, precious Christmas together.

Marie Curie Nurses last year provided more than 34,000 hours of care to people with cancer and other terminal illnesses in Essex, enabling almost 900 people to remain in the comfort of their own homes in their last days but for every family they helped there were three others that they couldn't.

For more information about the Lights to Remember Service contact the Essex Fundraising Office on 01920 468956 or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/essex