Crematorium invites local people to help create Covid-19 memorial

People of all ages in and around the communities of South Birmingham, Bromsgrove and North Worcestershire are being invited to help create a Covid-19 memorial at a local crematorium.

Aspiring artists, school children, retired people, in fact, absolutely anyone who has a good idea, are being asked to put their creative heads on and come up with a design to be included on the memorial.

Waseley Hills Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully-landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.

In 2021, the group unveiled Covid-19 memorials at most of its sites, marking the culmination of months of planning which started the previous year.

Waseley Hills Crematorium didn’t exist when the original project launched - it only opened earlier this year – but the team there is keen to have their own memorial to remember those lost during the pandemic.

It will also act as a focal point for people to honour essential workers like doctors, nurses, teachers and many others, who did so much to help people during these extremely challenging times.

And the team at the crematorium is extremely keen to ensure that local people get a chance to play an active part in what the memorial looks like.

The memorial will feature an inscription, which will read: “This memorial has been placed to remember and recognise the lives and efforts of all affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The design needs to be one which can be engraved onto the stone, providing a fitting tribute and complementing the wording.

It could include elements which reflect the pandemic but could also include local landmarks or other imagery which is associated with the local area.

Designs can be full-colour but must be no bigger than A4 in size to ensure that the whole of the chosen one can be etched onto the granite by Westerleigh’s skilled stonemasons.

A plaque bearing the name of the person who created the winning design will be added to the memorial, which means the winner truly does have a chance to see their name go down in history.

The closing date for the competition is Sunday 23 October 2022 and it is hoped that the memorial will be installed in Spring 2023.

Entries should be emailed to: designcomp@westerleighgroup.co.uk or posted to: Design Competition, Westerleigh Group, Chapel View, Westerleigh Road, Westerleigh, Bristol, BS37 8QP.

All entries should be accompanied by the name and address of the designer, their age, telephone number, and a short description of their design and what inspired it.

Schools should seek parental/guardian permission for pupils under the age of 18, or vulnerable adults, to participate in the competition.

Joy Edgington, site manager at Waseley Hills Crematorium, said: “This could make a meaningful class project for some local schools, or it could capture the attention of a retired person who has taken up art as a hobby. The competition is open to anyone and everyone, of all ages.

“It is a direct result of feedback from the community that we are creating his permanent, lasting, memorial so it felt only right that members of the local community had a chance to directly influence how the memorial looks.

“The memorial will provide a permanent, tranquil, place for people to visit and reflect on the pandemic, and for future generations to look back on.

“We very much look forward to seeing what ideas local people come up with.”

Waseley Hills Crematorium opened in March and is one of the most environmentally-friendly facilities of its kind in the country.

The purpose-built chapel building features a distinctive living green wildflower roof and the development of the crematorium has included the enhancement of existing wildlife habitats as well as the creation of new ones.

It offers the perfect combination of state-of-the-art technology with a sympathetic design that blends beautifully into the surrounding rolling hills, hedgerows, pastures and pockets of woodland.

To find out more about the crematorium, the services it offers and the exceptional care offered by the dedicated team, visit: www.waseleyhillscrematorium.co.uk