Corporate Garden of Lights

Willow Wood’s Garden of 1,000 Lights has been a very popular event with the residents of Tameside and Glossop since 2017, raising many thousands for the Hospice who can confidently say that the target this year of £10,000 will be well and truly smashed!

This year, for the first time, invitations were extended to a number of businesses, local councillors and organisations to visit the Hospice on Wednesday 7 December to see the lights, listen to a choir singing a selection of Christmas songs and have a complementary mulled wine, hot chocolate or a festive speciality coffee.

One of the first to arrive was the Civic Mayor of Tameside Mike Glover, who was greeted by chairman of the Board of Trustees Phillip Millson, vice-chair Mark Llewellin and patron Sharman Birtles, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

The evening was very well attended, with around 70 members of the local business community, the Rotary Clubs of both Tameside and Glossop, TMBC and a number of councillors visiting the event.

Mark Llewellin said, “It was a lovely evening, and so good to meet up with supporters old and new. For some, it was the first time they had visited Willow Wood and what better introduction could they have than seeing the spectacular illuminations around our extensive grounds. I’d like to thank the Yew Tree Singers who were in very fine voice and entertained us so well.

“We also had the pleasure of receiving a cheque for £200 from Tameside Rotary. During their very successful Tameside Beer Festival, both the Willow Wood Hospice Volunteer Choir and the Mossley Ukulele Band donated their fee to us. Our sincere thanks to them all.

“And of course, it was an ideal opportunity to showcase our services for the people of Tameside and Glossop. If you or a member of your family has received a life-limiting diagnosis and would like more information about how we may be able to help, details of our fundraising events, lottery or shops, or volunteering to support us, please go to willowwood.org.uk where there is a wealth of information available.”