HUNDREDS of people holding lanterns helped to light up the night sky over Ragley Hall in memory of loved ones.

Over 200 people attended Primrose Hospice’s second Lantern Walk on Saturday evening raising over £2,500 for the hospice in St Godwalds Road, Bromsgrove.

Fairy lights and lanterns lit the 1.5 mile route through the stunning stately home’s gardens as families and supporters weaved their way through the trail.

At the end of the route, heartfelt messages to lost loved ones were left on a memory tree while the Primrose Choir sang a medley of fitting songs.

Emma Williams, fundraising manager at Primrose Hospice, said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better evening or venue for our Lantern Walk.

“As the sun began to set on the clear winter night, it was lovely to watch the trail of lanterns in the dusk.

“Ragley Hall has beautiful gardens but they were extra special with all the fairy lights lighting the way.

“Afterwards, it was really touching to read some of the messages left on the memory tree which really brought home what a special event this is to our community.

“A big thank you to everyone who came along and helped to raise so much money which will help us continue to provide free care and support to people with life-limiting conditions and their families.”

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People can access Primrose Hospice’s services for free, however the hospice costs around £1.75million to run annually.

The hospice must raise £1.5million of the total itself through events such as the Lantern Walk, its charity shops, donations from the community as well as trusts and grants.

The next event to raise money for Primrose is the Business Breakfast which takes place at Chateau Impney, Droitwich, on Thursday, February 13 from 9am.

This year’s guest speaker is Claire Lomas MBE who completed the London Marathon in 17 days wearing a bionic suit following a horse-riding accident which left her paralysed from the chest down.

Tickets, which cost £30, are available via primrosehospice.org/events/business-breakfast.