Disused chapel in Wigan could be turned into a hive of activity thanks to new project

The newly-formed Friends of Hindley Cemetery are working on plans to transform the building, which has been empty for around 25 years.

They want to carry out refurbishment work so it can be used to support people mourning their loved ones, as well as other members of the community.

Chairman Julie Bennett said: “The chapel is not in too bad a condition, but it does need some work doing to it. We set up the Friends group because we were concerned about the chapel and we had a demand from people asking why it wasn’t open so it could be used as a hub for people to talk to each other in there, like people who are bereaved. We decided do something before the chapel got beyond total disrepair.”

The group is working with Wigan Council, which owns the building, and is raising money to carry out improvement work.

While the project has been put on hold in some ways due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of work is going on behind the scenes.

Several local firms have given their support, for example Dasco Construction has pledged to carry out work worth £10,000 on the chapel.

The group is registered with the War Graves Commission and is making plans for a memory tree.

Julie said: “It’s an exciting thing that’s happening and there’s an awful lot of community spirit there to get this off the ground. It’s a lovely chapel and a lovely cemetery that’s well used. We have got quite a lot of interest in it.”

Fund-raising so far has included the sale of bracelets and other items.

The plans have the backing of couple Andrea Tyrer and Adam Prince, whose baby daughter Emmie is buried at the cemetery.

She was born on May 1, 2018 with complex difficulties, including a rare heart defect, and died just five months later after contracting a virus.

When they kissed her goodbye, her parents promised her legacy would live on and she would help others, so they raise money each year in her memory.

Adam, 29, who lives in Hindley Green, battled torrential rain to climb the Old Man of Coniston on Saturday, raising £1,600 for the project.

The couple also organised raffles and Daisy Daycare, which their son Lewie attends, held a fund-raiser on Wednesday.

Andrea said: “There is not a day we don’t go to visit Emmie. We see the same faces every day. We try to have a conversation and there are benches, so when it’s nice we have share memories, but it’s not always the case. We are really keen for that chapel to open.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friendsofhindleycemetery

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