A HOSPICE has unveiled a striking memory tree in its award-winning gardens.

St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham City commissioned the sculpture to provide a poignant way for the community to pay tribute to lost loved ones.

Designed and made by C&D Metalworkers Ltd in Gateshead, the In Memory Tree was made possible thanks to a £3,190 grant from County Durham Community Foundation.

It is located in the Hospice’s peaceful Memory Garden alongside its popular memory pebbles, which will remain in place in the stream.

In return for a donation to the Hospice, beautiful steel leaves will be engraved and hung on the tree with a tribute to someone special.

Gerry Kelly, who has volunteered at the Hospice for more than 14 years, often visits the Memory Garden to reflect on happy times with his late wife, Audrey.

He said: “I often sit in the Memory Garden near my wife’s memory pebble and think of the good times we shared together. The Hospice meant so much to her and I know she would have loved the Memory Tree.”

Paul Marriott, chief executive officer at St Cuthbert’s Hospice, said: “The Hospice is more than just a building. It is what happens here that makes it such a special place.

“It is the way the community embraces and values people living with life-limiting illnesses and the way we treasure the memory of those we have lost”.

To find out more about the In Memory Tree, call 0191-374-6175.