A Memorial garden is to be created at West Wiltshire Crematorium in Semington as a tranquil place where people can come to remember loved ones who died during the Covid-19 pandemic and pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much to help others who were sick, isolated or vulnerable.
A second memorial gardens in Wiltshire will be at North Wiltshire Crematorium, at Royal Wootton Bassett. They two sites are among 34 being created across England, Scotland and Wales by Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner-operator of crematoria and cemeteries.
The company say, “They will be beautifully landscaped with colourful, seasonal planting making up a rainbow – which, for many, has been a symbol of hope. The focal point will be a stone memorial individually carved by Westerleigh’s highly skilled stonemasons.
Roger Mclaughlan, chief executive of Westerleigh Group explained, “Over the centuries, people have commemorated significant, life-changing events by creating memorials to honour those who have died. We wanted to do something similar to acknowledge the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the local communities we serve.
“Each memorial will be a special place where people can come to remember and reflect, and to give thanks to the wonderful way that the NHS, key workers and whole communities pulled together during this crisis.
“We hope these memorial gardens will be well received and as we move forward, we want our communities to join us in our plans and help to shape them. The gardens will be a permanent memorial of these times for future generations.”
Work is expected to begin on the stone memorials in the autumn with garden landscaping taking place in early spring 2021, shortly before the memorial gardens are opened. More details will be revealed over the coming months.
