We are family
Family. It’s where our life begins and it’s the thing that keeps bringing us back together. When we’ve had a loss, our family and the circle that comes around is so important to help us get through.
International Day of Families is a time to celebrate those people we call family. They may indeed be immediate family, extended family or the family we’ve chosen for ourselves, our friends. During times of grieving and farewelling a loved one, it’s our family and the friends who have become like family that help us to carry on.
Friends play a hugely important role in our lives. They become members of the family as we welcome them to join us at special gatherings and share the milestones in life. During grief, our friends can provide a different kind of support to our family, who may also be dealing with their own grieving process. Together, friends and family are our support system and today we honour them.
We have a number of special areas at our locations for families to come together and remember their loved ones. Explore some of these areas when you next visit.
The Children’s Lawn Cemetery
A special resting place, dedicated to children, Springvale Botanical Cemetery’s Children’s Lawn hosts colourful balloon sculptures decorate the gardens that surround the area. After considerable thought and planning, a recreational playground was organised to provide siblings with an enjoyable experience providing other family members time for personal reflection.
Café Vita et flores
Although to align with government recommendations our cafe is temporarily takeaway only, it is located within the heart of both the Springvale Botanical Cemetery and Bunurong Memorial Park grounds. As we adapt our services in line with restrictions on non-essential gatherings, our commitment to celebrating and honouring life is unwavering. We are now offering a selection of takeaway catering options to help reduce the weight on families.
The Centre for Care & Wellbeing
If you and your family are in need of more support during this time, you can visit The Centre for Care & Wellbeing. Although we are unable to be connected physically, we can continue to love and support each other virtually through these uncertain times.
We provide our families with compassion and care that transcends beyond the initial period of grief and into the period of mourning, regardless of how long that may take. We are currently bringing our community some of our favourite CCW sessions to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Activities to help you stay positive and healthy.
We are here to assist families in their journeys through grief and to respect everyone's right to honour the life of their loved one in the way that they choose.
For those needing immediate support and advice, we recommend some support organisations here.