A Christmas tree in Derry city centre is helping people in Derry and beyond remember their loved ones this holiday season.
The annual Foyle Tree of Remembrance returned earlier this month helping to keep the Christmas spirit alive for so many who have lost someone close to their hearts.
The tree - which is based just outside Foyleside Shopping Centre's Orchard Street entrance - allows the bereaved to write a small message on a ribbon before being placed on the festive feature.
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Organisers say that writing a message is completely free, with contributors given the opportunity to make a donation to the chosen charities this year; Which are HURT NI and AWARE NI.
Speaking to MyDerry, Dessie Kyle said: "People can come along and write a message, or if they find it too emotional they can ask one of the volunteers to write it for them.
"The ribbon is then attached to the tree and it stays there for the duration of the time that the tree is up.
"And the amount of people that have an attachment to this tree is very touching and a lot of people do get emotional when they visit every year."
He continued: "We had one lady come up to the tree this week and she stood there looking at the tree for quite a while and I asked her if she wanted to put a ribbon on.
"She stood silent for a minute and I knew she was in a different place and so I asked her if she was alright and she eventually approached me.
"She told me that she and her husband had been inside M&S cafe, which looks out on to the tree, and her husband had asked her what the tree was. They both came out to find out all about it and three weeks later he sadly passed away.
"Obviously that moment that she had with her husband was very poignant for her and it's one that she remembered when she walked past the tree.
"People really value going through the process of writing the message. For them, it's still remembering their loved one and it's public recognition that they're thinking about their loved one at this time."
The Foyle Tree of Remembrance website also offers people outside of Derry the chance to remember their loves by making a donation to our Virtual Tree. You can visit the website HERE.
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