Still time to donate to Leamington Rotary Club's Trees of Light campaign

Paul Morgan and Belinda Morgan North on their wedding day in November 2014. Photo by John Martin.

The donations will help couples like Paul Morgan and his wife Belinda in their final days together.

The couple from Coventry met at a young age and despite going their sperate ways for a time they always remained friends and rekindled their romance later down the line.

When the couple were not at the Ricoh Arena watching football, or looking after Belinda’s daughters, they were managing their pub, The Old Crown.

The pair were inseparable and had no doubt they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

But In April 2013, they were confronted with a different future to the one they had pictured when Paul was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Although the treatment appeared successful at first, in September 2014 Paul was told his illness was terminal and a matter of weeks later his GP referred him to the Myton Hospice in Coventry to help him manage his pain.

With this in mind the couple were determined to get married and with support from Myton staff the wedding took place at the hospice on November 22 2014.

Belinda said: “It was such a lovely day. One of the hardest but most touching moments was seeing how much everyone cared. I remember turning around and seeing the nurses at the back of the room in tears and then I started to well up myself.”

Paul died ten days later at the hospice.

Belinda said: “Being at Myton gave us time to grieve for Paul and the future we had planned together. Paul got his dignity back when he came to Myton and we will always be grateful for that.”

The Trees of Light outside St Margaret’s church in Whitnash and outside Leamington town hall shine throughout the festive period in memory of absent or deceased loved ones.

Their names are also displayed on lists at the town hall and in the Royal Priors Shopping Centre, in the porch of St Margaret’s church and in the library at Whitnash.

Donations can be made using the adjacent cut-out form, or through the brochures available at Leamington Town Hall, the Royal Priors, Whitnash church, in shops and both town’s libraries or online.