Students commemorate Epsom’s forgotten residents

Students from City of London Freemen’s School have been getting creative by making and decorating ceramic flowers that will form part of The Forget Me Not, a memorial garden, at the Horton Arts Centre Cemetery, Epsom, Surrey. 

The ceramic flowers painted by the students have formed part of the 1,500 flowers displayed in the memorial garden which was unveiled on 10 October, to coincide with World Mental Health Day and part of the Out of Sight, Out of Mind? project.

War heroes, a Titanic survivor, and a muse for Picasso are among the 9,000 to be commemorated through a memorial garden to honour the forgotten residents of Europe’s largest cluster of psychiatric hospitals.

The poignant and moving ceremony saw local dignitaries, faith leaders, schools and members of the community came together to commemorate those buried at the site. 

Theresa Kenefick, Friends of Horton Cemetery Trustee told the guests the event showed how far we had come as a society and a stark reminder that everyone had to respect human life and be treated equally. She added the event “was to celebrate and stride forward in understanding mental health”.

“We are thrilled that the students from Freemen’s are involved in this great initiative within our local community. The students have enjoyed making the ceramic flowers, while learning the importance of ensuring that Epsom’s residents are not forgotten. We look forward to seeing them in the memorial garden at Horton Cemetery,” said Elizabeth Bowey, Head of Art.

Roland Martin, headmaster, added: “At Freemen’s we pride ourselves in working closely with the community. Being part of the memorial garden initiative at Horton is wonderful for our students and particularly poignant as we also celebrate Mental Health Day. Wellbeing and pastoral care is fundamental to everything we do at the School. Well done to everyone involved in the project.”