Council unveils supports for Friends of Cemetery Groups

Rossendale Council has outlined the support residents can expect to set up Friends of Cemetery Groups.

The Council is already working with people interested in developing a Friends of Haslingden Cemetery group.

The hope is if the Friends group is successful in Haslingden, the Council will help residents start friends groups in the borough’s other cemeteries.

Friends group would be independent of the Council and run by volunteers but the Council’s communities team can provide initial support, training and funding information to friends group. The team can advise how to draw up a constitution, best ways to access funding and ideas on how to recruit members.

Councillor Alyson Barnes, Leader of the Council, said:

“Following the issues at Haslingden Cemetery, we said we wanted to look at supporting residents to develop friends groups for the cemeteries because at the moment, there are no formal mechanisms for the Council to consult with residents and cemeteries users.

“But Friends groups won’t just be about being a sounding boards for the Council. I hope they take on interesting projects that they can work with us on to improve the cemetery like Friends groups in other borough do.

“I know there has been talk about turning the land behind Haslingden cemetery into a memorial garden, which sounds like a good idea but obviously needs to be explored properly to understand the practicalities. It could be a future project the friends group looks at.”

To express an interest in developing a group, please contact communitiesteam@rossendalebc.gov.uk