Unique Dearne suicide memorial supports those in grief

The distinctive metal tree sculpture has leaves, which carry photographs and names of loved ones who have been lost and is situation in Bolton on Dearne’s Lacewood Community Memorial Garden, also home to the village war memorial.

It carried around 40 names when it was installed, but that has now doubled, with inquiries from grieving families as far away as Manchester and Skegness, hoping to add their own tributes.

The intention of the tree is to provide a focus for relatives sharing the same emotions after losing loved ones.

Sue Hodgson, who looks after the memorial garden as part of a ‘friends’ group, and lost her grandson Dannie, to suicide, said: “Their final act should not define their lives and by providing this we are making sure it doesn’t.”

The tree idea literally grew from a small tribute, with messages tied to a rose bush with ribbons, several years ago when families met in the garden.

That was superceded with a wooden memorial, both of which remain in the garden, but Goldthorpe women Amanda White and Leanne Smalley came up with the idea of the tree.

Three companies, G M Fabrications Ltd, Premier Machine Knives Lied and Keats Engineering and Education Ltd were involved in producing and installing the tree.

It was done without charge, leaving Amanda and Leanne to oversee the tree itself, and addition of new ‘leaves’ as more families come forwards, while the ‘friends’ group maintains the overall garden.

Project 14, a local group which works to bring a focus on mental health issues, is also involved and has a ‘talking bench’ painted in its livery, as a focal point to encourage visitors to sit and chat.

A suicide awareness day is held in the garden each September.

The garden emerged when the old Lacewood school was replaced, with the war memorial constructed from an inglenook fireplace originally part of a manor house.

The tree has attracted such interest, it is possible the memorial will be expanded, to take more names.

Anyone wanting to know more can contact [email protected] on email.