Our Memorial Area
In October 2022 Sunderland Football Club agreed for us to be custodians of this area outside of the main stand.
This was agreed upon after the news that ashes could no longer be placed on our pitch. The part plastic system of our pitch means grass can no longer be dug up and ashes placed in the soil. With the help of Brambledown Landscape Services, we transformed the area into a more suitable memorial space for Sunderland fans to visit to remember loved ones.
Our members started placing painted memory pebbles at the memorial after our first pebble painting event in November 2022. Over the months the number of pebbles has grown and more and more people are using this space to spend time both on match days and non-matchdays. The branch met regularly at the memorial as a group to celebrate and remember including special occasions and candlelight services.
Memory Pebbles
We hold memory pebble painting sessions approximately every 4 months. these are for new members but also for a chance for people to freshen up pebbles that may have lost their colour.
These sessions allow us to paint together and remember our loved ones in a supportive environment then lay them at the memorial garden.
Each person who paints a pebble is given one of our special ‘love bug’ gifts to remember both the day and their loved one.
Love Bugs
We invite fans who visit the memorial to lay ashes or a pebble to take a love bug!
The box is hidden on the back of the memorial wall near the bushes … combination of 1973….What else!
Remembering By Candlelight
The past two years we have held a candlelight remembrance service to remember those who have died outside of the place they loved so dearly.
We had support and words from Fr Marc Lyden-Smith, Washington MIND and Chaplain Emma Satchell. The former players association funded hot chocolate to keep us warm and Bojangles Ukes played beautiful live music.
Members of our Facebook page chat and support each other online but until this event, many had never met – it was a very special evening. We would like this to be an annual event which we believe will bring a lot of comfort to us all