A place for the people you've
loved and lost

The Bridge of Lights is a place to remember someone. You light a candle, give it their name and their years, and say a few words about who they were. Their light then stays on the bridge permanently - not for a season, not until a subscription lapses, but for as long as the bridge exists.

Why it exists

The Bridge of Lights was started by Jack Harrison, in Plymouth, after losing family and friends close to him. It began as a simple idea: a space where the people we've lost could be named, remembered, and kept somewhere lasting - not folded away, but held.

A bridge connects two places. This one is meant to connect the living with the people they've lost - a space between remembering and letting go, where you can pause, feel what you feel, and perhaps say something you never got the chance to say.

Nobody grieves in quite the same way, and the Bridge doesn't try to hurry that process or tell you what it should look like. It's simply a place for it to rest.

What we do

Lighting a candle is straightforward. You choose a space on the bridge, add the name of the person you're remembering, their years if you'd like to include them, and a short message. Every message is read before it's published.

A candle costs £1, with no subscription or renewal. If you'd like, you can add a coloured flame, their favourite song, or a printable certificate to keep - but none of these are necessary. A candle on its own is already complete.

Once lit, a candle is permanent. You'll receive a candle number by email so you, or anyone you share it with, can find that light again at any time. The bridge holds space for one million candles. Once it's full, no more will be added, and the ones already there will stay exactly where they are.

A small share - a minimum of 10p per transaction - is donated to UK bereavement charities.

Who this is for

This is for anyone who wants somewhere to mark that a person mattered: a parent, a partner, a child, a friend, a pet. Some people light a candle soon after a loss. Others come back to it years later, when the moment feels right. There's no correct time, and no rush - there will be a space here whenever you're ready.

If you'd like to read how others have used the bridge, Stories from the Bridge collects a few of those pieces.

A bridge without borders

The Bridge of Lights is open to anyone, anywhere. Candles have been lit from the UK, Northern Ireland, the US, and even South Africa - grief doesn't stop at a border, and neither does this bridge.

Working with professionals

We also work with funeral directors, hospices, bereavement professionals, and charities who want to offer something similar to the people they support. If that's you, our Working Together page explains how.

Our approach

• Permanence. A candle you light today will still be here tomorrow, and in the years after that.

• No pressure to add more. The optional extras exist only for those who want them.

• Care in what's published. Every message is checked before it appears, and anyone can report a candle that shouldn't be there.

• Honesty about what this is, and isn't. The Bridge of Lights is a memorial space, not a grief service. If you're looking for further support, we point people toward it rather than trying to be it ourselves.

Contact

Many common questions are answered on our FAQs page. For anything else - help finding a candle, a question, or reporting something - we're glad to hear from you: hello@bridgeoflights.org