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🌟 OPERATION CANDLELIGHT 2026 - HOW YOU CAN HELPPlease read in full.
This Christmas Eve, Operation Candlelight returns once again. Together, we will honour the fallen by placing electronic night lights on Commonwealth War Graves across the UK. Throughout Christmas week, these small lights will shine as a gentle and powerful reminder of sacrifice, service, and remembrance.
We have been granted permission by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to carry out this tribute, provided that all lights are removed before 1 January 2027.
📍 CHRISTMAS EVE PROGRAMME
Cambridge City Cemetery, Newmarket Road
🕜 13:30
Volunteers begin placing battery-operated tea lights on CWGC graves.
Important: ✅ Plastic, battery-operated tea lights only.
✅ Place lights on the ground close to the headstone so they illuminate the memorial.
❌ Please do not place lights on top of the headstones, as they are likely to be blown away by the wind.
🕞 15:30
Attendees gather in the main CWGC area.
🕒 15:50
Recital of the Ode of Remembrance:
"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
🕒 15:51
🎺 Last Post
Please note: we are still looking for a volunteer bugler.
🕒 15:53
Two minutes' silence.
🕒 15:55
🎺 Reveille
🕒 15:57
Volunteers fall out.
🕯️ THROUGHOUT CHRISTMAS WEEK
A small team of volunteers will visit the cemetery daily to check the lights and replace any that have stopped working, ensuring the tribute remains visible throughout the festive period.
🔋 HELP NEEDED BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE
We would be extremely grateful for assistance preparing the tea lights. Hundreds of batteries need to be fitted, and many hands make light work!
📅 Preparation Day
Sunday 20 December 2026
🕧 From 12:30pm
📍 Joint Services & Veterans Club
If you can spare an hour or two, we'd love to see you there.
🧹 NEW YEAR'S EVE LIGHT COLLECTION TEAM NEEDED
To meet our agreement with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, all lights must be removed before 1 January 2027.
📅 Light Collection
Thursday 31 December 2026 (New Year's Eve)
🕙 From 10:00am
📍 Cambridge City Cemetery, Newmarket Road
We are looking for a team of volunteers to help collect and remove the tea lights from the CWGC graves. With hundreds of lights across the cemetery, many hands will make the task quicker and easier.
If you can spare some time on New Year's Eve morning, your support would be greatly appreciated and will help bring Operation Candlelight to a successful conclusion.
📦 BREAKDOWN DAY
Once the commemorations have concluded, we also need volunteers to help dismantle and store the lights for future years.
📅 Sunday 3 January 2027
🕧 From 12:30pm
📍 Joint Services & Veterans Club
Volunteers will be helping to remove batteries and pack away the tea lights ready for storage until next Christmas.
☕ REFRESHMENTS
Tea and coffee will be provided for all volunteers attending both the preparation day on 20 December and the breakdown day on 3 January.
❤️ THANK YOU
Operation Candlelight is only possible because of the dedication and support of volunteers. Whether you can help with preparations, place lights on Christmas Eve, assist with checks throughout the week, join the New Year's Eve collection team, or help with the breakdown afterwards, your contribution will ensure that those who gave so much are remembered during the festive season.
Every light placed represents an act of remembrance. Together, we can ensure that the sacrifices of those buried in Cambridge City Cemetery are honoured throughout Christmas and remembered into the New Year.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
Lest We Forget.
#OperationCandlelight #LestWeForget #CWGC #Remembrance #Veterans #Cambridge #ChristmasRemembrance #Community #ArmedForces #CambridgeCityCemetery #
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