Community heroes unite to clean up ‘shoddy’ Stoke-on-Trent cemetery

Community heroes are coming together to clean up one of Stoke-on-Trent’s biggest cemeteries. They carried out their first organised clean-up at Tunstall Cemetery yesterday.

Father John Stather – from Christ Church – is among the group. He said: “I’m normally here once a week doing funerals and, sadly, there is quite a lot of rubbish.

“I appreciate that the council is over-stretched, so if the community can help out in a small way it helps. People like to complain about things but then they don’t do anything about it.

“The people who come together and help, they make it a more pleasant place. It’s good to put something back into the community.”

Self-employed Tabrase Din gave up his time to help. The 35-year-old, from Tunstall, said: “I like doing community work, I like to help people out. It’s a duty for everyone.

“You can’t just blame the council all the time, it’s a duty upon ourselves. I’ve got no family members buried here but it’s a religious thing as well, cleanliness is part of my religion.

“You’ve got to do your bit, it’s part of being in a community. It’s a graveyard and to be honest everyone is going to end up here. If I can help to make Tunstall a better place then why not?”

Veronica Quaile lost her son when he was only 32 years old. He is buried in Burslem.