Infant memorial garden at London Cemetery in Thatcham to see installation dedicated to lost children

A ‘children’s installation’ has been proposed to brighten up the infant memorial area in Thatcham cemetery.

It is hoped the installation at the cemetery on London Road will provide families with a brighter space to remember their loved ones.

The idea was picked up by Thatcham mayor John Boyd following an initiation by West Berkshire SANDS in 2017.

Mr Boyd presented the idea to a town council recreation and amenities committee meeting earlier this month.

He suggested an installation of a wooden picket fence, a pergola and steps that lead up to a rainbow art installation, which will feature images of children’s toys.

It was said that the project would not only define the purpose of the area for parents visiting their lost loved ones but it was also for the children who are “making this transition over the rainbow”.

Mr Boyd told the chamber that he had recently seen young people in a remembrance congregation visiting the child’s area of the cemetery and he felt like the area "needed to be better" for them.

He said: “My heart sank when I saw young people going over to the children’s area, that sort of thing impacts anybody who has lost a child.

“It looked to me bleak, this area was tucked away in the corner."

He also noted that it was important to have a design that “immediately reflects what the area is about”.

Mr Boyd then suggested it be appropriate to meet with those who contributed, with over £10,000 for the project being raised in the local community.

He said that those who wanted the idea to go ahead should also be able to “come forward with suggestions and comments”.

The committee also heard a reading from the mayor of a poem about baby loss called 'A Pair of Shoes.'

The poem drew on what it was like to walk the shoes of a parent who had lost their child.

Mr Boyd, drawing on why he felt the project was important, later said: “I only just about got to the end of the poem.

“Because it is something that [a family member] has experienced, it has given me a better insight into the tragedy behind it all.

“Losing a child it’s such a heartbreaking thing for the parents.

“Until it happens to somebody, you don’t know how difficult it can be”.

The design of the installation has been put to public consultation and further technicalities will be discussed before plans proceed.