PEOPLE who wish to remember loved ones this festive season are being urged to sponsor a bulb on the Portishead Tree of Light

PEOPLE who wish to remember loved ones this festive season are being urged to sponsor a bulb on the Portishead Tree of Light.The tree and town illuminations were switched on at a special ceremony by town carnival organisers Gemma Cooper and Wendy Watkins on Monday night.The Tree of Light, which stands proudly on top of the Somerset Hall, is a joint initiative between the North Somerset Times and Portishead Christmas Lights Committee.Last year the fund-raising campaign raised nearly £2,000 for the town's illuminations and this year organisers are hoping to top that amount.People can support the campaign by picking up a form, which can be found at shops across the town, the police station or the Folk Hall, and making a donation in memory of a loved one.All money raised will go towards putting up the illuminations across the town. Portishead Christmas Lights committee chairman Barry Randall said: "We had a fabulous response to the campaign last year."We hope people will support it again this year as it is such a nice way to remember someone special at Christmas and raise money for a good cause at the same time."This year's display consists of 8,000 bulbs and has taken a team of volunteers hours to erect.Mr Randall said: "We have expanded the display this year and generally improved it so we have more lights at the Clevedon end of the town."We have also put up more small trees around Portishead and a team of volunteers have been working over the past few weekends to get the lights up."For more information on the Christmas lights contact Barry Randall on 01275 844301.