Whilst most of the Trust Board were at the 5 a side competition, I attended the above inaugural service at LCFC. The garden of remembrance has provided a means by which supporters can express their sense of loss & grief through the club – so much so that it recently required extending, and at the same time floodlights were installed enabling folk to visit whenever they feel the need.
Leicester City saw this as an opportunity to provide support and contact with bereaved supporters and I personally felt it went far beyond this, as the club ably demonstrated that it is part of the community and shares in the grief that was expressed by many on the day (around 200 people took time out to remembered loved ones who had passed away).
The simple brief service entitled 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was led by club chaplain Bruce Nadin. It opened with 'a space to remember' when the names of loved ones were read out, followed by a poem, a minutes silence (ended with a round of applause) and then a bible reading and short reflection and prayer. Singing of the cup final hymn (Abide With Me) was accompanied by the excellent Kristyna Myles (who also sang a solo prior to this), followed by 'You'll Never walk Alone'. As fans left the West Stand to move on to the Banks Lounge for some refreshments, 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was chillingly sang again by Kristyna. Birch finally got a prediction right, when he said on the LCFC web site prior to the event that 'there wouldn't be a dry eye in the service' when we sang the poignant songs – he was spot on with that prediction.
At last the 'we're in this together' marketing strap line used by the club finally found the correct context.
Huge thanks must go to Bruce Nadin, Peter Jones, Alan Birchenall and Pat Griffin, all of which had a hand in organising the event, along with Kristyna Myles for the excellent solo's and accompaniment to the songs that were sang by all who attended…….
The two questions that I was asked at the end of the event are detailed below:
For anyone that is interested in having a plaque put in the gardens, here are the details
How do a get a memorial plaque in the garden for my loved one?
A plaque in the Garden of Remembrance costs £55 and is made for LCFC by a local engraving company. A maximum of 25 words of your choice may be used. A cheque (made out to 'County Engraving') needs to be sent FAO Pat Griffin at the Club (together with the required words and a contact phone number so Pat can get in touch). The plaque will be erected by LCFC maintenance staff.
Where can I hear more about the singing by Kristyna Myles?
Kristyna has a web site, so please click on www.kristynamyles.com