📰 A Little More Attention on Stoney Royd…
📰 A Little More Attention on Stoney Royd…
It seems the Friends of Stoney Royd Cemetery are attracting a little more local media attention again, following last week's incident in which volunteers from a local business, who had generously given up their time to help at the cemetery, were turned away by the Council.
Perhaps inevitably, this has brought our existing petition concerning the management and future of Stoney Royd firmly back into the spotlight.
What is particularly important for us to make clear is that this was not an unplanned group simply turning up at the cemetery.
Before the volunteering day, the Friends had carried out a detailed and in-depth risk assessment, identifying specific hazards and areas that volunteers should avoid. The participating business had also undertaken its own risk assessment and safety procedures. This was on top of the Friends maintaining £5 million Public Liability Insurance.
We took our responsibilities seriously because we always do.
The volunteers were there specifically to help prepare an area of the cemetery for Heritage Week, as well as beginning preparations for the Polish All Souls' Day commemorations. When they were turned away, that preparation could not take place as planned.
As a consequence, the Friends made the difficult decision to cancel our remaining Heritage Week events, because we could not reasonably invite people to activities in areas we had intended to prepare beforehand but had been prevented from doing so.
That is an important part of this story.
Prior to this incident, the Friends had deliberately been keeping our side of the deal. We had stepped back from publicly highlighting our concerns, concentrated on constructive engagement and continued trying to build a workable relationship with the Council.
We didn't go looking for renewed publicity.
The incident brought the issues back into public view.
Our formal complaint will be allowed to proceed through the appropriate process, and we remain ready to work constructively with Calderdale Council. What we want is not an argument, but clear communication, consistency and a genuine working partnership that recognises responsible community volunteering as something worth supporting.
If the renewed media attention achieves that, then perhaps something positive can ultimately come from a very disappointing situation.
Because this has never been about the Friends versus the Council.
It is about what is best for Stoney Royd, its history, those resting there and the community that cares deeply about its future.
Honouring the Past. Caring for the Present. Preserving for the Future.
Please continue to share and encourage people to sign the petition - our voices CAN and WILL be listened to