An Abergavenny funeral director is launching an initiative to help people remember their loved ones this Mother's Day.

Thomas J Thomas has planted two remembrance trees in its garden, just outside Nevill Hall hospital, where people can write a message to their loved ones on a wooden heart and hang it in a tree.

Annick Simon de Froimon is the funeral service arranger and says anybody is welcome to come and leave a heart to honour the legacy of their loved ones.

“You can knock on the door, come in, take a heart, write on it and add it to a tree,” she says.

“I have got the hearts here now and they are ready to be used whenever anybody wants. I’ve put some signs up and written a heart for my mother too, so you won’t be alone.”

The trees are a new addition to the funeral home’s garden, and the idea is for the trees to grow with the hearts and memories shared with friends and family over time.

Annick explains that the role of a funeral home is not just to organise ceremonies to celebrate the end of a life, but to be there always for those who are grieving.

“We try to help people through one of the toughest times in their lives,” she says.

“Mothering Sunday can be a poignant and difficult time for those who have lost their mother or indeed a mother who has lost a child. It is likely to be more a day for quiet reflection, so that is where the trees comes in.”

Anyone is welcome to contribute to the tree, whether Thomas J Thomas has looked after your family or not. People are welcome anytime Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm to pick up a heart.