Shrewsbury baby ashes scandal: Memorials could be in place by spring
Two memorials to babies whose ashes were lost in the Shrewsbury crematorium scandal could be in place by the spring, campaigners have said.
Action for Ashes, spearheaded by chairman Glen Perkins whose daughter Olivia died at the age of four months, asked Shropshire Council's bereavement services for a memorial to be placed in the Dingle, at the heart of the town's Quarry park.
Despite coming up with a number of designs, it seemed this would not happen.
However, Mr Perkins was told on Wednesday that a stone memorial, by sculptor Lottie O'Leary, would be placed at the cloisters at Longden Road cemetery while another glass sculpture will be placed in the Dingle.
"It is fantastic news," said Mr Perkins. "The cemetery is a great venue, it is under cover and the sculpture will make a nice centre piece. It is private and the bereavement services have said we will be able to put up plaques to the babies on the wall. That is a really fantastic gesture from them.
"I have to say a big thank you to Mark Foxall, the council's bereavement services manager, who has helped so much with this. He has been with us right from the beginning.
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"These memorials are not going to give us back what we have lost but they are going to give us somewhere to meet, to talk and reflect. The council know it was wrong, they have tried to make amends for that and it is appreciated.
Mr Perkins has been in high level discussions with government ministers over the sandal which saw dozens of families told the ashes of their babies and young children would not be returned after cremation at Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury. He visited 10 Downing Street to hand over a petition to ministers calling for a change in cremation law and an independent inquiry in to the matter was set up by Shropshire Council.
"I got quite emotional when I got the email telling me of the decision regarding the memorial," added Mr Perkins. "I was overwhelmed by everything.
"But my fight is not going to stop. I do not do this for me, I do it for the other parents who have been affected. The past is gone, but the present is getting this mess sorted out and I believe that is happening. Everything we have asked for we seem to be getting. I think the Government has seen the severity of the problem and seems to understand all we have suffered. We have got something good out of a very bad situation."
Shropshire Council was approached for comment.
