Wolverhampton's remembrance Christmas tree launches to raise money for good causes

The Tree of Remembrance will take centre stage in the city's Wulfrun Centre and will allow people to share their own heart-felt messages to their lost loved ones.

It has been organised by The Rotary Club of the City of Wolverhampton and will be launched on Saturday by the city's mayor Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE.

The names of loved ones who have died will be showcased in remembrance cabinets near the tree, with people able to share their message for a minimum of £5.

Rotarian Lorraine McCarthy, who lost her daughter to cancer in October 2018, is a committee member who feels passionate about the heart-warming campaign.

She said her daughter was "able to spend her final days at home" because of the support provided by Compton Care, one of the charities to benefit from the move.

The tree, which will be unveiled at 1pm on Saturday, will remain until January 1, 2023. For a minimum donation of £5 people can remember their loved one(s) with a short message which will be displayed in the remembrance cabinets.

The Tree of Remembrance has helped raise more than £120,000 since Christmas in 2004. Last year around 600 friends and family members were remembered and £7,651 was raised for good causes.

President of the Rotary club Sylvia Morgan said: "I would like to offer our thanks to our sponsors along with the generosity of members of the general public, without this support we would not have raised so much money for good causes across the city."

The names of loved ones will be printed in the Express & Star and will appear on the club's website until October 2023 at rotaryclubofwolverhampton.co.uk