Festive lighting around the bandstand at The Spires shopping centre is not just a celebration of Christmas and the New Year but also a more personal reminder for friends and supporters of the Barnet charity Cherry Lodge Cancer Care.

 

The “Lights of Love” are sponsored by donations from people wishing to make a dedication for someone special in their lives.

Each dedication sponsors a symbolic light on the bandstand and the illuminated display continues until the New Year.

This year the switching on of the lights was followed by a carol service and refreshments.

Dr Margaret Clark, founder of Cherry Lodge – one of the first cancer information and support centres in the country – opened the evening’s proceedings (seen above left, with the administrator and events co-ordinator Tina Papasavva).

Trustee Graham Gibson gave a reading and another trustee Sarah Armitage welcomed friends and supporters.

Because of the continuing Covid.19 pandemic and requirement for social distancing, Cherry Lodge, which is based in Union Street, High Barnet, is having to offer a reduced range of services.

Consultations are available with cancer information nurses Fiona Kiddle and Kirsty Mabb either face to face, via zoom or telephone. 

Cherry Lodge is celebrating its 25th anniversary year – after starting life in 1966 in a portacabin at Barnet Hospital when Dr Clark, who had retired from the NHS, started work establishing a support centre.

After fund raising and financial backing from the Hadley Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support, Cherry Lodge moved to its current headquarters in Union Street which were opened in 1998 by the then Chipping Barnet MP, the late Sir Sydney Chapman.

Despite lockdown and other restrictions fund raising has continued and a special chairman’s appeal raised £25,225 which Dr Clark said was an amazing result in what has been the most difficult of years.

For more details about services offered by Cherry Lodge and fund-raising events see www.cherrylodgecancercare.org.uk

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