Council considers permanent Covid memorial to commemorate pandemic victims
Calls have been made for a memorial to Stafford residents who have died from Covid-19 – and community leaders have said that those who have lost loved ones to the virus and worked to help others during the pandemic should be honoured too.
Members of Stafford Borough Council have agreed to set up a working group to consider the best way to pay tribute to those affected by coronavirus.
Councillor Aidan Godfrey put forward a motion from the authority’s Labour group for a book of remembrance during the authority’s annual meeting this month.
He said: “The borough of Stafford has suffered the loss of many loved ones during this Covid-19 crisis. Nothing can help to alleviate the pain suffered by families and friends of people lost to this terrible disease.
“It has been mentioned that a permanent memorial should be commissioned to commemorate the lives of the people of our borough who have sadly passed away due to the pandemic. Our suggestion is not a statue or an imposing marble display but a simple Book of Memory, similar to the Remembrance Books naming the fallen of the two world wars.
“This will not be a book of condolence for people to sign but an illuminated binding with the names of the people we wish to remember recorded within. The book may also prove to be an important historical document of the times we find ourselves in.
“Our suggestion is that the book should be housed in a secular setting, not a religious building. The Ancient High House could be a contender to house the book but other town centre buildings might be more appropriate.
“We understand there will be issues to address regarding ownership, funding etc. but these questions can be answered after the suggestion has been accepted in principle. It is hoped this motion is adopted by the council.”
Councillor Angela Loughran, who seconded the motion, said: “There have been quite a few people from the borough who have been severely damaged during Covid-19 and we felt this was one of the most appropriate ways of showing that we are recording this event for posterity.
“I hope this is something that is not going to be pushed into the dim and distant future. It is something we should be seen to be doing something about.”
But council leader Patrick Farrington said that the motion became more complicated as details were considered. He proposed an alternative move to set up a cross-party working group to consider how best to commemorate those affected by coronavirus.
Councillor Farrington, who leads the Conservative group, added: “I think everyone accepts the general sentiment behind Councillor Godfrey’s proposal. I think, as the motion acknowledges, there is considerable detail and further considerations to be undertaken.
“We are still in the grips of a global pandemic. It is ongoing, and although there are very encouraging signs in our own communities, there is still a lot to do.
“There are many families that continue to be affected by it – it’s such a terrible virus. As a group we feel there is a prematurity with this about going down a particular route.
“Some people may have issues with family members being included in the data, partly because the issues raise matters of privacy in the manner proposed. There are issues around data collection and retention. And there are some we will all be aware of who challenge the finding of Covid-19 as a cause of death and it being placed on the death certificate.
“Do we include residents of the borough only or families of those people in the borough who have loved ones who have sadly passed away outside the borough? What do we do about cut-off dates?
“I hope the suggestion we set up a cross-party working group would be the right way to go.”
Councillor Jill Hood said: “I accept this motion Councillor Farrington has put forward for the reason that the Labour Group have put forward something for those who have passed away due to the pandemic. I would like the people in the borough who have lost people and those who have died to be honoured. I think it is very important that we honour those people who have worked so hard since the pandemic hit.
“The memory of the dead is something that we must preserve, but equally as important is the memory of relatives, loved ones and all those who have worked at fighting this pandemic. It’s something that we have never seen the likes of before and although a commemoration book was a nice idea we need to go more far-reaching than we are proposing.”
Councillor Mark Winnington said: “This really isn’t over yet, there is still a lot of people who are grieving, who are upset, who feel that there is no closure. This is a brilliant idea that we have this working group because we can look at all the different facets of grief there are.
“There’s also a need to honour all of the good work that communities have done. It’s a massive challenge to try and find a way to do that.”
