A NEW £22,000 memorial garden has opened in Christ Church where families and friends can remember their lost loved ones.

The church in Old Town built the Remembrance Garden to give more space for the internment of ashes after its Rose Garden reached capacity.

The project forced the Parochial Church Council to borrow from other church funds. And now they are looking for help to pay the cash back.

Christ Church parish administrator Helen Parker-Drabble said: “We knew when the Rose Garden closed that the people of our parish and Swindon would continue to need a place of beauty and peace that is surrounded by life.

“We could not wait until we had raised the £22,000-plus needed to create the kind of space we had in mind.”

Helen added: “The project was beset with difficulties and setbacks and we give thanks for the working group’s perseverance in what, at times, felt an impossible task.

“Although the Remembrance Garden is now open the working group’s work is not yet done.

“Not only do we need to find a way to replace the borrowed funds, we need to show our respect and return the plaques moved during the work back to public view in a way that is respectful.”

Christ Church vicar, the Rev Canon Simon Stevenette, said: “In the Rose Garden, you’ve got a really large area with many plaques.

“But this new area is a much simpler thing with no plaques but everybody’s name is in our book of remembrance in the church.

“So, you go into the church, light a candle and see your loved one’s name in our memory books.

“We reckon this space will do for about the next 20 years.”

Around 15 people’s ashes have already been buried there.

The church set up a JustGiving page to help repay the funds with a target of £5,000.

Helen added: “This money needs to be found to bring Christ Church’s finances back in the black.”

Anyone who wants to donate should visit justgiving.com/campaign/RemembranceGarden?