Cemetery petition gains traction

A petition to urge the Gibraltar Government to improve the local cemetery is gaining momentum online, with over 550 signatures garnered to date.

In addition, In Loving Memory, an organisation that works for the loved ones of those who are buried in the cemetery, has also obtained over 500 signed letters asking the Government to review the maintenance of the cemetery.

Leader of the GSD, Danny Feetham has supported the petition and told In Loving Memory “it is a worthy cause which should attract cross party support.”

In Loving Memory are calling on Government to step up and support the petition now, "it’s time we provided a comforting resting place for our dearly departed" said In Loving Memory's spokesperson Eliza Victor.

The petition was created following a recent buried of a Kelly-Anne Victor’s father, she said: “I was horrified by the state of the cemetery. I literally had to stumble over rubble to get to his tomb. There were overgrown weeds everywhere... it just felt so dirty and neglected.”

The experience prompted her to petition the Government about improving conditions.

What In Loving Memory would like to see happen is; a thorough review of cemetery maintenance, including the performance of employees or companies contracted to take care of it, and appropriate action taken to get it to an acceptable level.

In addition, it asks, “how much do we spend on maintenance annually? how does this compare to cemeteries of a similar size elsewhere? why is ours so bad?.”

Ms Victor also said: “No one is asking for a million pound refurbishment, just appropriate levels of maintenance to ensure that paths are level and clear, the elderly can access graves, old graves are well looked after and toilets are clean.”