A SANCTUARY for people mourning loved ones is inviting people to use its new space.

Wivenhoe Congregational Church, in High Street, Wivenhoe, will open its doors to the public on Saturday between 3pm and 5pm.

The church invites anyone, regardless of faith, who wishes to remember a loved one by lighting a candle, bringing fresh flowers, or writing a label for a memory tree, at the church's new sanctuary quiet space.

Visitors can pause for reflection and contemplation of four beautiful stained-glass panels depicting the beauty of nature through the year and symbolising our journey through life.

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A spokesperson for the church said: “Sometimes people want to step outside their daily lives to enter a quiet space where they can experience peace, reflection, and remembrance.

“The glass panels were donated by a fundraising group called Catherine and Friends who wished to offer the community that quiet space.

“Today there is often no grave to visit and no place to bring flowers to mark special anniversaries. You can sit for a while and there will be someone to talk to if you wish or if you prefer to be quietly alone this will be respected.”

The space will open on the second Saturday of every month.