More than £1,250 donated to YEP Christmas Half and Half and Light up a Life appeal

There are around 90 names on the roll of honour today (Sat Dec 12) for this year's appeal, which has so far raised £1,251 for two city hospices.

The money will be shared between St Gemma’s Hospice in Moortown and Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley.

The appeal remembers lost loved ones at Christmas while raising money for the hospices.

It offers people the chance to sponsor a light on a tree in memory of someone special in aid of the YEP’s Half and Half Appeal, which has raised more than £3m since it was launched in 1982.

The Christmas tree at the Light shopping centre will twinkle all Christmas in memory of lost loved ones.

All names will also be displayed on a banner surrounding it, but there will be no special service this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We ask that you make your donations only via our Virgin Money Giving page.Sophia Last, senior fundraiser at St Gemma’s Hospice, said: "It’s amazing how many YEP readers have sent in names of their loved ones to be published in this special roll call for the Half and Half Appeal.

You’ve raised an amazing £1,251 already for St Gemma’s Hospice and Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.

"Your support of our Leeds hospices will make such a difference not just to people living with life-limiting illnesses but their families and friends too. Thank you so much."

YEP editor Laura Collins said: "I would like to thank all the generous readers who have contributed to the Half and Half and Light up a Life appeal in memory of lost loved ones this Christmas.

"It is wonderful to see that support for the city's hospices remains strong after what has been a very difficult year."

We are also moving our Half and Half Appeal to the same Virgin Money Giving page.for donations only.

St Gemma’s and Wheatfields charity shops have had to close due to the pandemic and fundraising events have been cancelled so the Half and Half Appeal has never been needed more than it is in 2020.