HOWE Bridge Crematorium is helping people celebrate Father’s Day by streaming a special tribute service on its YouTube channel.

The programme, which will be broadcast on Sunday, June 20, will be openly available to watch but organisers are also giving people the chance to contribute to the service.

Howe Bridge Crematorium, which is part of Westerleigh Group, featured in festive services over the Christmas period with around 11,000 people viewing the remembrance programmes and the group followed this up with a special broadcast on Mother’s Day.

Lindsey Edwardson, site manager at Howe Bridge Crematorium, on Lovers' Lane, Atherton said: “Having broadcast the special service for Mother’s Day earlier this year, it was only right that we did something for Father’s Day, too.

“Some restrictions still remain in place, so we felt that holding a national event would allow families to remember fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers and father figures wherever they may be in England, Scotland and Wales.

“People will be able to view the service on Sunday, June 20 at 11am, which will be broadcast from Vale Royal Crematorium and will include readings and music.

“We would like local communities to get involved too and so we are inviting families to send us three words, which remind them of their fathers.

“We are going to compile all the submissions into a word cloud which will be revealed at the end of the Father’s Day broadcast.”

She added: “Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day can be a poignant time for those who have lost loved ones.

“We are streaming this service, to bring some comfort to people and to enable them to feel that they are remembering their lost loved ones in a special way despite the lockdown restrictions.”

The service will be shown on Sunday, June 20 at 11am and can be found by visiting the news section at www.howebridgecrematorium.co.uk

It will also be available to view afterwards on the Westerleigh Group’s YouTube channel.

Anyone who wants to contribute three words for inclusion in the cloud at the end of the broadcast should submit them to https://bit.ly/3iaaBbw by Wednesday, June 16.