Westerleigh invites public to 30th anniversary event

Westerleigh Cemetery and Crematorium is marking 30 years of serving its local community by issuing an open invitation for people to visit on 23 July.

The crematorium is hosting a Community Open Day between 10.30am and 12.30pm to commemorate three decades of business. 

Visitors will be able to meet the crematorium’s staff and find out more about the care they provide. There will be guided tours of the crematorium taking place every 30 minutes and people will be able to ask any questions they have.

Light refreshments will be available at the Willow Tree Café and visitors will also be able to see the 30th anniversary memorial tree which has been planted to mark three decades of service.

In addition, there are also plans to bury a time capsule on site to mark the 30th anniversary and visitors to the open day on 23 July are being invited to bring with them any item they feel might be suitable to be included in the capsule.

Shaun Chapman-Young, site manager at Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium, said: “We pride ourselves on having very close links with our local community, which is why we wanted to have an open day in order to commemorate our 30th anniversary with people who live in the surrounding area.

“We are hoping lots of people will come and visit our peaceful and tranquil grounds, and we would love it if they would like to get actively involved in our anniversary by bringing with them something we can put into our time capsule.”

He added: “They could be items which reflect 2022, which the future generation can open in 30 years’ time and reflect on, or perhaps they could be items which also look back to 1992, when Westerleigh Crematorium first opened.The open day is free to attend, and no booking is required. We are really looking forward to meeting lots of local people on the day.”