On Sunday 13th November, the centre management team, along with some of our tenants attended the Lighting of the Graves at the Aldershot Military Cemetery which is near to the Aldershot Enterprise Centre. This event was created by Keith Bean, a local man and friend of the Centre as well as unofficial historian of Aldershot. Building this wonderful event for the community came initially from his own funding but over time others have been willing to help.
Ryan, Darryl and Col of Kraken Print donated all the printed leaflets and provided leaflets for the day and Steve, an ex-serviceman at Southern Medical Rescue provided donated his time and an ambulance for this special event. Jo Harper even helped create signage for guiding the paths!
Lorna Oldham, centre manager said of the event,
“At 1645hrs a short service began with a prayer, ‘The Last Post’ was played and a 2-minute silence followed. 692 WW1 graves had tealight candles placed on them as well as all the Parachute Regiments Falkland graves, commemorating their 40th anniversary. Guests to the event were then able to walk around the cemetery as darkness fell, making the lit graves shine in unison. It really was a beautiful service that we were so pleased to attend and help with every year.
We love that the community is able to come together on this day and remember all of those at rest there, especially for those whose families who are not local, all are remembered.
For more information on the Lighting of the Graves event see their Facebook page.
