A SPECIAL Christmas tree to remember lost loved ones is being placed in Poole’s Dolphin Shopping Centre.

Between December 3 and 19, visitors will be able to visit the Dolphin Centre’s Echo Hub on the lower mall and hang ‘light up a Life’ stars on the tree in memory of someone special in exchange for a donation towards Forest Holme Hospice Charity.

Volunteers will be there daily from 10.30am until 3.30pm with a stall selling hospice Christmas Cards and merchandise, while there will also be entertainment on selected days, including performances from the Wessex Chorus and Rising Voices Wessex choirs.

Last year the tree raised nearly £5,000 for the Forest Holme Hospice Charity, which supports the hospice by providing £500,000 each year to fund specialist care for patients living with advanced cancer and other life limiting illnesses across Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck.

Anne Currie, Forest Holme Hospice charity manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Dolphin Shopping Centre has agreed to accommodate our tree this year in the Eco Hub. The location means that shoppers and visitors to the Dolphin can easily pop-in to make a dedication for a loved one. Christmas can be a difficult time for those who have lost someone special, so our tree is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of those who are sadly no longer with us, irrespective of whether they were cared for by Forest Holme or not.”

John Grinnell, centre manager at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Forest Holme Hospice to our Eco Hub for their Light up a Life campaign. We’re passionate about supporting the important work this charity undertakes to provide specialist care to those living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.”