ST Luke's Hospice in Winsford was the venue of a special memorial service at the weekend.

The hospice's annual Light Up a Life fundraiser has raised lots of vital cash in past years and this year's event continued that trend.

But the emphasis was firmly on remembering the importance of life at this year's switch-on.

That point was emphasised by Jackie Freeman, who turned the lights on.

She is a former patient at the hospice who gave a touching speech about the importance of the hospice and how it had helped her back into work and back into life.

The Light Up a Life campaign involves each light being sponsored to raise funds for the hospice.

It has been running for about five years and about 600 people attended this year's event.

Siobhan Horton, matron at the hospice, said: "It was an excellent turn out. We live in such a secular society but the service on Saturday gave people the chance to come together as one group and remember the people they loved and those that loved them."

The lights, which are on display at the front of the hospice, will be on until January 6.