Church in Wales running out of space to bury its dead

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Posted On : April 6, 2011 12:03 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO

ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/4/6/ACNS4842

> Related Categories: Wales

Church in Wales running out of space to bury its dead

Wales is running out of space to bury its dead
and needs a co-ordinated policy to tackle the issue seriously.
That?s one of the stark facts the Church in Wales
is highlighting in a series of briefing notes
about its work to candidates standing for the Welsh Assembly election.

It estimates that two-thirds of the Church?s
1,000 burial grounds will be full in 10 years?
time and calls for a Government Commission to
look into provision across Wales.

It also warns that it is facing a funding crisis
in the care of its burial grounds which are
maintained by each local congregation with no
formal state aid. It has identified £16m of works
to ensure paths, walls and monuments are repaired and kept safe.
Alex Glanville, head of Property Services for the
Church in Wales, warned it will become
increasingly harder for people to be buried in their local communities.

He said, ?We can no longer take it for granted
that we will have a last resting place in or near
our community. The majority of our churchyards
will soon be full and we do not have the
resources to extend them or open new ones.
?Maintaining churchyards is also a problem now as
we face a significant repair bill. We rely on the
goodwill of volunteers from local congregations
but these are community assets which we need the wider community to support .?

> Candidates are being urged to:

> ·         Encourage local authorities and
> community councils to work with and support
> congregations caring for burial grounds;

·         Ensure legislation supports those caring for burial grounds;

·         Support policies which encourage and give confidence to volunte ers;

·         Develop greater awareness among

sponsoring bodies of the value of churchyards and
places of worship with recognition of this in grant giving;

·         Protect existing grants and support for
burial grounds and monuments;

·         Urge a Government Commission that could
look at the provision of burial space across
Wales to ensure a coordinated approach to enable
a last resting place in or near communities.

To read the full briefing note on Church burial grounds, click here:
English:
http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/resources/general/electionbriefingnotes-en. pdf

Welsh:

http://www.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk/adnoddau/general/ElectionBriefingNotes-c 
y.pdf

For more information, please contact: Anna

Morrell, Archbishop's Media Officer / Swyddog y
Cyfryngau i'r Archesgob Tel: 02920 348208;
mobile: 07 91 91 587 94 39 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff
/ 39 Heol y Gadeirlan, Caerdydd CF11 9XF

http://www.churchinwales.org.uk  http://www.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk

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