A man and his children are cleaning gravestones in local cemeteries in Cheshire, northwest England
- 4 years ago
Ryan van Emmenis has cleaned numerous headstones at local cemeteries in Cheshire, northwest England, with the help of his three children, Brooke, 12, Lana, four, and Larsson, three.
Footage recorded on May 28, shows Ryan gentling cleaning a tombstone in Swanlow Garden using a soft bristle brush and several pictures showing the before and after of Ryan's work.
Ryan started when the UK lockdown began and according to local media, when a friend posted a picture of his sister's grave on social media, Ryan offered to clean it.
He told Newsflare: "I think that cemeteries should be a peaceful, relaxing, beautiful place. With history, lots of memories and I think by cleaning the headstones and the graves, it makes it a nicer environment to be in.
"It's a nice place for people to come reflect and remember the people that they love. And it's important that we don't forget our history and the people who have come before us. It's also about teaching my children to be kind and respectful as well.
"Obviously it's cleaning strangers' headstones and graves. We don't know lots of these people but I've developed quite good relationships with lots of the people who have requested me to do their families headstones and graves. We're going to have social meet ups when the lockdown is over and it's safe to do so.
"Also, people were trying to pay me all the time. Although I'm refusing payment, I've set up a donation page so if people want to donate they can to a local hospice. If it can make the hospice a little bit extra then that's fantastic."
Footage recorded on May 28, shows Ryan gentling cleaning a tombstone in Swanlow Garden using a soft bristle brush and several pictures showing the before and after of Ryan's work.
Ryan started when the UK lockdown began and according to local media, when a friend posted a picture of his sister's grave on social media, Ryan offered to clean it.
He told Newsflare: "I think that cemeteries should be a peaceful, relaxing, beautiful place. With history, lots of memories and I think by cleaning the headstones and the graves, it makes it a nicer environment to be in.
"It's a nice place for people to come reflect and remember the people that they love. And it's important that we don't forget our history and the people who have come before us. It's also about teaching my children to be kind and respectful as well.
"Obviously it's cleaning strangers' headstones and graves. We don't know lots of these people but I've developed quite good relationships with lots of the people who have requested me to do their families headstones and graves. We're going to have social meet ups when the lockdown is over and it's safe to do so.
"Also, people were trying to pay me all the time. Although I'm refusing payment, I've set up a donation page so if people want to donate they can to a local hospice. If it can make the hospice a little bit extra then that's fantastic."