Covid Safe Christmas Carol Service 2020
Westerleigh Crematorium to broadcast Covid-safe Christmas service
Westerleigh Crematorium, near Bristol, is making sure local people can still enjoy some traditional seasonal activities - even if they are in lockdown - by webcasting a Christmas service next month.
Meanwhile, the crematorium’s parent company, Westerleigh Group, is helping to support local people who are struggling by donating £2,000 to a foodbank close to the crematorium.
Westerleigh Group is the UK’s largest independent operator of cemeteries and crematoria and usually hosts Christmas Carol and Remembrance services at all its 34 sites nationwide, including Westerleigh Crematorium, which people can attend in person.
Covid-19 restrictions mean that, like many other live events, this is not going to be possible this year, so the Westerleigh Group has come up with an alternative so ensure that people don’t miss out altogether.
Earlier this year, the group announced it had invested in new webcasting services because of restrictions on the number of people allowed to attend funeral services.
Now, that technology is going to be used to ensure everyone can view a virtual Christmas Carol and Remembrance Service, which will feature a mixture of traditional carols and readings.
Westerleigh Crematorium will be webcasting the one-hour service on Wednesday, December 9, at 6pm.
Roger Mclaughlan, Chief Executive Officer of Westerleigh Group, said: “We wanted to make sure we could provide something this year that would definitely be able to take place, regardless of whatever lockdown restrictions may, or may not, be in place.
“We know that it won’t be quite the same as our popular live services, which we very much hope to be able to return to hosting again next year.
“But Christmas is likely to be different for most people this year. And with so many other seasonal events being cancelled, such as live concerts and Christmas markets, we wanted to ensure we could still offer a way for people to join in a festive activity and to remember their loved ones at this time of year.
“In some ways, the fact that it is going to be so different this year may make these webcast services even more memorable.
“We also felt it was appropriate to choose a very worthy local charity to make a donation to, in the spirit of the season.
“North Bristol Foodbank provides people in crisis with vital nutritionally-balanced emergency food and support.”
Matt Dobson from North Bristol Foodbank said: “We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry at any time, especially Christmas. We have seen a huge increase of 109% in foodbank use since the first lockdown compared to the same period last year. So this donation is more helpful than ever.
“We are very grateful to the Westerleigh Group for this generous donation, which will help us provide an estimated 500 meals for people in crisis.”
A link to the service will be put onto the Westerleigh Crematorium website so that people will be able to view it on December 9. It will then be available on-demand.
There is no need to register in advance in order to view the services, and no tickets are required; the Service will take place here - https://bit.ly/3g73GNe
