Memorial garden campaign inspires families to take on fundraising quest
IT has captured people’s imagination with the aim to remember loved ones, but now The Herald memorial garden campaign is inspiring families and friends to take on new challenges.
In just a few weeks we have raised almost £9,000 in our bid to create a Garden of Remembrance as tribute to those who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Our aim is to raise £50,000 to create a place of solace as a fitting way to remember those who have died.
We want to build a place where people can go to sit and reflect. The Herald was offered a site at Pollok Country Park for the memorial garden and we have received kind donations from well-wishers and readers as well as £5,000 from the Harry Clarke Group of companies in Hillington.
They made the generous donation to our campaign following the loss of a close friend of one of the company’s directors. Mark Lammey’s friend Jim Russell, 51, from Parkhead, Glasgow, died from coronavirus. He had been due to marry his fiancee Connie Mccready last month.
We are delighted to hear about your fundraising efforts to help our campaign. Lauren Mcadam, from
East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, has been inspired to take on the Three Peaks challenge to raise money and already has around £1500 in pledges on her Justgiving page.
Ms Mcadam’s father Bryce died from the virus on May 5 at the age of 62. She said: “Thousands of lives across Scotland have been lost to the virus, leaving many families and friends devastated.
“Sadly, due to lockdown and social distancing measures, the majority of families were unable to see their loved ones before they died or give them the funeral and send off they deserved.
“When The Herald launched a fundraising campaign to raise money to build a memorial garden, I was blown away by the kindness of this idea and made me want to help in anyway to raise the money needed to build the memorial.”
Ms Mcadam has not chosen an easy option to raise funds – instead she is taking on a challenging hike.
She added: “On August 29 I will aim to complete the three peak challenge of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Cumbria, and Snowden in Wales, in less than 24 hours.
“Those of you who know me will probably be laughing right now, I moaned the whole way up and down Ben Lomond and couldn’t walk for days, never mind the three peaks.”
To donate to Ms Mcadam’s challenge go to www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/lauren-mcadam
Carol Anne Stewart, from Glasgow, lost her brother Derek to coronavirus at the age of 57. Sadly, she lost her other brother Ian last year and had been planning a fundraiser for a mental health charity – now she also plans to help the memorial garden.
She had been scheduled to hold an event next month but is still waiting to see if it can go ahead with social distancing restrictions still in place.
She said: “We have been planning an event and have been getting a lot of support.”
To donate to the memorial garden go to: gofundme.com/herald-garden-ofremembrance. Donations can be posted to The Herald Garden of Remembrance Campaign, Herald & Times, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow, G32 8FG, with cheques made payable to The Herald. If you would like to help, send an email to: memorialgarden@theherald.co.uk