When you think about Christmas this year, spare a thought for Hospice.

Christmas will soon be here and before we know it we'll all be caught up in the rush, trying to get everything done so we can enjoy this special day with our family and friends.

For the past 20 years I have had the privilege of calling into Northern Ireland Hospice Care on Christmas Day with my family and meeting many truly brave and wonderful people receiving hospice care, these are special memories that will stay with me always.

At the hospice we understand how difficult and distressing Christmas can be especially for those grieving a loved one. I invite you to join me in remembering loved ones no longer with us by sponsoring a light on our hospice tree at Somerton Road, Belfast. Each light will be special as it shines in memory of a child, mother, husband, relative or friend. It will be a bright reminder of the glow and warmth they brought into our lives and of the lasting memories that stay with us.

I know that your generosity over the years has enabled hospice to care for so many patients and their families and for this I thank you. If you have not already responded to Northern Ireland Hospice Care's Lights to Remember Appeal, can I urge you to support us now with a donation.

To sponsor a light or to make a donation call 02890 777123 or go online to www.nihospicecare.com The light that you sponsor in memory of your loved one will mean a huge amount to so many local people currently living in the shadow of a terminal illness.

Thank you.

Paul Clark

President of Northern Ireland Hospice Care