Cemetery flies the flag of success (From Warrington Guardian)

Cemetery flies the flag of success

VOLUNTEERS who spent five years sprucing up Burtonwood cemetery are celebrating after it won a national award.

The 1.9acre cemetery opened in 1900 and a century later it had become so untidy, residents decided to undertake a major and ongoing clean up.

The voluntary group formed in 2000 and five years later the cemetery's transformation has won the prestigious Green Flag award - the national standard for parks and open spaces.

Clr John Higham, volunteer, says everyone is delighted. He said: "As much as being an award, it's a reward for five years of work.

"There were tree saplings growing on the graves and lumps of clay left at the foot of graves from when they had been dug."

Three years ago the volunteers were joined by young offenders doing community service, help that Clr Higham describes as invaluable.

He said: "They took on a lot of the heavy work we couldn't do because of various medical conditions.

"We couldn't have done it without the young offenders. Although they are rascals on the street, they're angels in the cemetery and since they joined we've never looked back."

A planning application for a flagpole to fly the Green Flag in the cemetery is now being drawn-up and the volunteers are considering how to further improve the cemetery.

Clr Higham added: "This award for excellence is reviewed every 12 months, so we have got to build upon what we've achieved."