LOROS Hospice held its Thanksgiving and Remembrance service live on YouTube and Facebook yesterday evening, Father’s Day, and were overwhelmed at the reaction.
The service, which is usually solely for the families of patients who have died at the Hospice, was made available for the first time to anyone who had lost a loved one.
It comprised poems, readings and prayers which reached almost 43,000 people, and was viewed more than 7,500 times.
Stephen Burnham, Spiritual Care Chaplain at LOROS, who led the service said: “It really seems to have helped meet a need for people to come together and remember loved ones.”
In normal times, Remembrance Services are held three times a year in the hospice with around 170 people attending. By streaming it online, LOROS was able to reach out to many more families, both those who were bereaved years before, as well as those more recently affected.
“Lockdown has prevented many people from being together with families and friends in their grief, to support each other, so we hope our service gave them a chance to share that emotion with others, online if not in person.”
With almost 400 comments, likes and shares, the service evoked a collective display of emotion, with people sharing memories of their loved ones and the care they received at LOROS Hospice.
“We really feel moved by how well it’s been received. In such difficult times we want to be there to help people in any way we can”, adds Stephen.
