Using the skills, enthusiasm & imagination of our Community, we want to transform the graveyard behind Wareham United Reformed Church (opposite Sainsbury’s) into a space that is respectful to those who are buried there, a haven for wildlife and a place where our community can enjoy a gentle stroll or some quiet contemplation over lunch.
We’re thrilled that Wareham Town Council have awarded Sustainable Wareham a generous grant of £500 to form a project team of local volunteers to make this graveyard great again!
The work will involve various different work tasks including all or some of the following activities:
- Surveying the site to map buildings, walls, sheds, gravestones, presence of wildlife, location & condition of existing trees and shrubs
- Coming up with garden designs that are respectful to the dead, good for wildlife, great for the community.
- Clearing overgrown areas to expose gravestones & pruning trees or shrubs
- Demolition of existing unwanted structures
- Building /installing new structures (could be raised beds, seats, etc depending on the design agreed by the group.
- Decoration (eg painting of any new or existing structures)
- Planting of any new shrubs, plants, seeds, bulbs etc
- Genealogy (mapping the position of graves, occupants etc & researching links to living relatives etc
- History – telling the Graveyard’s story eg perhaps signs with QR codes etc
- Sustainability – working out how to maintain the revived Graveyard once the project ends
The project team, comprising about 10 keen people, is meeting for the first time on Friday 30th January at 6.30 at Wareham United Reformed Church. To find out more or to join our project, contact Karen at info@sustainablewareham.org
Come and get some dirt under those nails and help the community create a beautiful, restful space for nature and people in the heart of our town!
