Edinburgh church unveils plans to build memorial for people who died of covid

Relatives will be able to have their loved ones’ names inscribed on plaques on nearby benches.

A church in Edinburgh has unveiled plans to build a memorial for people in the South East of the city who died during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Liberton Kirk said the granite memorial will provide the community with a quiet space to remember ‘all those who suffered’ and those who lost their lives. It will be situated at Liberton Kirk, Kirkgate, in a spot beside the main path through the Kirkyard to Liberton Cemetery and Liberton Brae.

Names won’t be inscribed on the memorial itself but it will be possible for relatives to have their loved ones’ names inscribed on brass plaques on nearby benches.

Liberton Kirk Photo: Lisa Ferguson

It is hoped that it will be unveiled on Sunday 12th May 2024, close to the first anniversary of when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared covid was officially, no longer a global pandemic.

John Young, the Minister at Liberton Kirk, says “The pandemic impacted many different people in different ways, and we want to provide a quiet place of remembrance, especially for those who are still processing the loss of loved ones – both near and far. The oval granite memorial will remember all those who suffered during the pandemic, as well as those who died.”

In future years the Church plans to hold a short service of remembrance every May for those who died.

The church has launched a Just Giving page to raise £8000 for the memorial. Any extra money raised will be given to the care homes run by CrossReach, Church of Scotland.

Artist impression of the memorial

Edinburgh is home to the first memorial in Scotland dedicated to NHS staff who worked through Covid-19. Four life-sized statues of healthcare workers in scrubs now stand in the grounds of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

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