It’s time to take a moment to reflect

New memorial garden will salute our loved ones

welcome.

Karen Campbell, of the Pals of The Privies, said: “This wee part was just covered in trees and we started cutting it all back.

“And we said it would be good if we could have a wee place we could come and sit and remember people.

“A lot of people spoke about suicide and things like that, and it kind of transpired that people were saying ‘ I’d like a plaque for my mum’, and there was a gentleman that was murdered in the park in 1976, so we traced his family and they wanted to buy a plaque and put that up for him.

“It just kind of transpired from there and before we knew it people were coming to us helping out.

“People were donating stuff because still to date the Pals of the Privies have never had a penny so we’ve done it all just through donations.”

People are welcome to put up plaques or other memorial items whenever they wish.

These can be of their own making or they can arrange for a plaque to be made through Pals of the Privies.

“They can get in touch with us through the Glencoats Park page on Facebook or people can just walk past because we’re here every other day,” Mrs Campbell said.

The inauguration of the garden will take place at 1pm, on December 16, and taking part will be Rev Stuart Davidson, the Kirk’s Pioneer Minister in Paisley, and Rev John Morrison, priest at St Fergus Church.

Mr Davidson said: “We got together and offered an order of service and it will allow people to have access to their own thoughts and prayers.

“It will just be an interactive gathering, prayers and Christian reading, and interacting with silence and music.”

He added: “It’s a great spot for people to come and have quiet and reflection, particularly at Christmas.”