PENDLESIDE Hospice's Christmas campaign to commemorate people by hanging special lights in their honour has raised more than £80,000.

The Light Up A Life campaign at the Reedley-based hospice again broke all records with more than £81,000 in donations, beating last year's figure of just over £72,000.

Today hospice fund-raising manager, Kaye Bartle, said: "We are delighted once again with the response to our Light Up A Life campaign.

"It is a lovely way to remember loved ones at this special time of year and the money raised will help us to care for those people in our community who need our help and support."

Light Up A Life is the biggest event in the hospice calendar and allows people to commemorate the life of a loved one by dedicating a coloured light bulb to their memory.

The lights are all displayed around the hospice building and are switched on at special services the weekend before Christmas. The lights then shine out all through Christmas until the beginning of January.

The name of everyone remembered in this way is then entered into a special leather-bound Book of Remembrance, which is kept on display.

The campaign is supported by local companies across the area, including Greenwoods Funeral Services, Co-operative Funeral Care, PHL Conference Hire and Lancashire County Council Operational Services.

The hospice provides care to local people suffering from cancer and other life limiting illnesses and currently costs more than £1.5 million per year to run. A grant from the local primary care trust provides approximately 25 per cent of running costs, but the remainder, more than £1.2 million has to be raised from donations and fundraising events.