A POOLE town centre store has leapt to the rescue to provide a home for a hospice’s Light Up A Life tree.

In previous years Forest Holme’s Christmas tree has been displayed at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, where customers have been able to make a donation and have a star hung on the tree in memory of a loved one.

However this year the tree had to find a new home due to work being carried out at the centre, and Sainsbury’s at Pitwines offered to house the 10ft tall tree and the charity’s Light Up A Life stand.

“The Dolphin Centre said it was because they were having work done with their escalator and didn’t know when it would be completed,” said Hannah Parsons, corporate fundraiser.

“We had a bit of a last minute panic,” she said. “Sainsbury’s stepped in and said we could have it there.”

The tree, donated by Continental Landscapes, will go up on December 1 and will be in place until December 19 for people to remember a much loved and missed relative or friend with a star.

This follows the launch of the campaign at a remembrance service held at the Civic Centre on Thursday November 27 at 6.30pm. Led by the Rev Fraser Smith, it will include reflective readings and live music from the Salvation Army and Bourne-mouth Symphony Orchestra.

Light Up A Life raises a considerable sum of money for Forest Holme, which provides specialist end-of-life care to patients living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses.

The charity needs to raise £500,000 in voluntary donations a year to ensure it can continue to offer its services, including its 12 in-patient beds.

“It normally brings in around £10,000,” said Hannah. “Hope-fully we’ll make as much as we do at the Dolphin Centre.”