Community celebrate St Catherine’s Hospice Memory Meadow
More than 350 people joined St Catherine’s Hospice at a special opening celebration of its Memory Meadow in Priory Park on Saturday (20 May.)
A non-religious, celebration service took place close to Priory Park’s lake, and launched the meadow as an ongoing place for local people to visit to remember precious times with their loved one.
The moving service was led by Reverend Lisa Rainier, Spiritual Care Lead at St Catherine’s, and included jazz music by Matt Davies, a song from singer, Sarah Esser, and readings by hospice volunteer, Graham Ellis and Wendy Buckingham, whose husband was cared for by St Catherine’s.
Children were invited to blow bubbles as part of the remembrance celebration and packets of wildflower seeds were given out for people to take home to recreate a replica of the meadow in a place of their own choosing. The Worshipful, The Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Councillor David Powell, also attended to show his support.
Reverend Lisa Rainier said: “It was a privilege to lead the official opening of our new Memory Meadow, and I’d like to thank everyone who attended to remember someone special to them. We hope people gained comfort from our service, and will continue to visit the Memory Meadow for months and years to come as a tribute to those who are no longer with us.”
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