First look at memorial for Covid-19 dead
PLANS FOR CREMATORIUM’S GARDEN ARE REVEALED
DESIGNS for a new memorial garden to honour people who died during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nottinghamshire have been revealed.
The new space planned for Gedling Crematorium will aim to be a “tranquil place for people to visit and remember loved ones”.
The centrepiece is a polished black granite, which will be individually carved by stonemasons.
As the rainbow has become a symbol of hope during the pandemic, the monument will also have a rainbow-style floral arrangement around it.
The memorial is one of 34 gardens to be created across England, Scotland and Wales by Westerleigh Group, the UK’S largest independent owner-operator of crematoria and cemeteries – including the Gedling facility in Lambley.
Work is expected to begin on the stone memorials in the autumn with garden landscaping taking place early next spring.
Amanda Carr, site manager at Gedling, explained: “The new garden will be a tranquil place for people to visit and remember loved ones who died during the pandemic, and to pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much to help others who were sick, isolated or vulnerable.
“The centre-piece of each garden will be a stone monument surrounded by a floral arrangement representing a rainbow, which has become a symbol of hope during the pandemic.
“Many people have put pictures of rainbows in their windows during the lockdown, to cheer up passers-by and to offer a bright message of hope.
“Our rainbows will be created using the vibrant colours of begonias, petunias and geraniums.”
Amanda and her team are now looking to identify the best location in the grounds for the garden, which is expected to open in the mid-to-late spring of 2021.
She added: “We are proud that our crematorium enjoys close links with our local community, and we therefore thought it would be an appropriate gesture to create these permanent and lasting memorials.
“It will be a special place where people can remember and reflect on the loved ones they have lost, and give thanks to the wonderful way that the NHS, key workers and whole communities pulled together during this unprecedented crisis.
“As this project progresses, we will be reaching out to the local community to help shape and finalise our plans.”