The Compassionate Friends/Bereaved Parents Grief Support was founded in England 50 years ago; Whanganui was one of the first groups to meet in New Zealand.
It is a group no one wants to belong to, but there is, unfortunately, a continuing need as families experience the death of a child, grandchild, brother or sister.
Every year for the past 23 years Compassionate Friend groups around the world have united for one night for the annual Worldwide Candlelighting.
Held on the second Sunday in December at 7pm local time, it is believed to be the largest mass candle lighting event in the world as each time zone honours the memory of their children. As lights go out in one time zone another takes over and for 24 hours a wave of light encircles the globe.
Aotearoa New Zealand is the first to light candles in the global sequence.
The commemoration in Whanganui always coincides with Carols by Candlelight, this year on Sunday, December 13.
This year Compassionate Friends is grateful to Rotary for sharing Virginia Lake. The group plans to meet by the statue of Peter Pan.
This will be an appropriate place to light candles in memory of "lost" children who have died too soon.
