In early June 2020, The Matchgirls Memorial was delighted to be invited by local residents in Forest Gate, near Manor Park Cemetery to take part in a socially distanced event, 'A Celebration of Sarah Chapman's Life'. 

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The event took place at 11AM on Sunday 21st June. Around 50 local people attended, each bringing a single flower to lay on Sarah's grave. Sam Johnson, Sarah's Great Granddaughter was invited to say a few words before people filed past the grave to lay their flowers and paid their respects. The whole event was very moving, not least because Sarah would not have any ceremony at the time of her death.  

 

Unable to make the actual event, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and Deputy Mayor, Councillor John Gray both attended the grave site the day before to lay flowers and left touching tributes to Sarah.

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For those  that wanted to take part but could not attend in person, a concurrent online campaign invited people to share #aflowerforsarah. Photographs of the actual event and the online event can be seen below.

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Special thanks to residents Radhika Bynon, Laura Glendinning and Mary Igoe for organising it all.