Anfield Cemetery Visit For Stafford Chapel Renovation Prospect

With the potential of two unused, historic chapels at Eccleshall Road Cemetery in Stafford undergoing future renovation, volunteer group Friends of Stafford Cemeteries along with representatives of Stafford Borough Council Bereavement Services visited the Friends of Anfield Cemetery in Liverpool who have ambitious plans to renovate their Grade II listed catacombs and transform their disused chapel into a heritage and visitor centre.

Thanks to Heritage Lottery funding and project plans that complement a £260m Anfield Project Regeneration Scheme, the group’s aim is to preserve a huge piece of Anfield history to create a facility to benefit the local community with opportunities for schools, universities, genealogists, historians, tourists, funerals and wakes.

Anfield cemetery has a wealth of history and stories to tell. Located directly in between The Premier League's Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs it has a great footballing ancestry with Liverpool FC's greatest manager Bill Shankly cremated there along with other club founders, managers and players.

Work has already started that is creating a sense of pride and wellbeing in the community along with volunteer and job opportunities for local people of which Friends of Stafford Cemeteries is hoping to replicate and achieve elements of in Stafford at our own sites.

There are links to both famous ships, The Titanic and The Lusitania along with architects, artists, industrialists, singers, musicians, sportsmen/women, heroes of World War I and II and the tragic Hillsborough Disaster.

Discovering the many historic narratives and remembrance of events and individuals in the city's history has motivated visitors to uncover more about the cemetery and its importance. It is this championing of heritage-led renovation by Friends of Anfield Cemetery that has turned their care and hard work into a viable project.

Work has already started that is creating a sense of pride and wellbeing in the community along with volunteer and job opportunities for local people of which Friends of Stafford Cemeteries is hoping to replicate and achieve elements of in Stafford at our own sites.

With the expectation of discussions taking place in the near future with relevant local authorities and organisations in the town to talk about possible renovation plans for our chapels at Eccleshall Road it is an exciting time for Friends of Stafford Cemeteries. We will keep you updated on the proposals and progress.

For more information about Friends of Stafford Cemeteries and to keep up to date with the work that they do please like and follow the Friends Group Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofStaffordCemeteries/ and they can also be found on Instagram by searching for 'friendsofstaffordcemeteries'.

If you would be interested in helping the group, becoming a member or contributing to Friends of Stafford Cemeteries, please contact Laura Francis at FriendsofStaffordCemeteries@Virginmedia.co.uk.

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