Mill Lane Cemetery in Stockport was opened in 1993, making it Stockport’s newest cemetery. Its modern layout and appearance is emphasised by its long sweeping lawns and desk type memorials, interspersed with decorative trees. The cemetery accommodates burials for a range of faith groups including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and those of no particular faith.
We recently undertook some work on behalf of Stockport Council to develop a derelict area of the existing cemetery to increase the capacity of burial plots and improve the drainage for the waterlogged grounds.
After completing the extension works, we were approached by Lindsay Bryan of Stockport Cemeteries department asking if the foundation could help with the Baby Memorial Area they were planning within the grounds.
The project was funded and delivered with help from the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (Sands). Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. They were founded to help reduce the number of babies dying and to ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it. Sands works in partnership with health care professionals, trusts and health boards and offers a range of training programmes and bereavement care resources to ensure that every bereaved parent and family receives the best possible care wherever they are in the UK.
The Foundation donated the equivalent of £5,000 in labour, resources, and materials to assist in the construction of the memorial. In addition to our donation, our procurement team worked with our supply chain to provide additional materials and plant free of charge to further support the project. This included block paving from Marshalls, Plywood roof materials from Benchmark Romiley, a Bomag Roller from M T Kaill and benches from George Cox & Sons. All this, together with the £11,000 donated by Sands, we could ensure that area would be transformed to how it was envisioned to be.
Providing families with a local place to spend time to reflect on their experiences as part of their grieving journey was the result we aimed for. To achieve this; a block paved walkway was created to gain access to the baby burial area and for scattering ashes, and the construction of a bespoke oak pergola with a seating area underneath was installed. The finished product created a gentle, meaningful and sheltered environment for parents and family members to grieve and visit baby’s final resting place.
Mill Lane Cemetery, along with the Sands charity were very appreciative of our input and assistance in making the construction of the memorial achievable.
