I am starting up this petition today in regard to the Heathlands cemetery, in Yateley. As many of you may know, the council is trying to turn all the graves at the cemetery to just grass, with the headstone and a 30cm area for flowers etc and that is it! 

People visit their loved ones to grieve, and decorating the grave helps them to have a happy place to go. If it gets turned to just grass on the graves, then there will be no sentimental value. Graves are not just plots of land; they are sacred spaces where families find solace and remember those they have lost.

At the heathlands Cemetery in Yateley, Hampshire, many families cherish the tradition of personalising gravesites with flowers, mementos, and decorations that hold deep emotional significance. Changing this practice would strip away an important aspect of our grieving process.

As well as that, many people have spent a lot of time and money into their loved one’s graves, adding things that make them personal to each family and to look aesthetically pleasing. So by taking this away from families, they are also taking away a piece of their loved one’s memories. 

Not only this, but many people suffer from mental health conditions due to the loss of family members and need a comforting place to grieve their loved ones is key. Which if the council decide to put grass over the graves, there will be no sentimental value left and just a graveyard full of headstones and grass! 

Please sign this petition today to keep our graves at Heathlands Cemetery full length and maintain their current state for future generations.

thank-you for reading :)