Remembrance tree placed in Leeds park to reflect on 'beautiful souls' lost to suicide

Leanne Squires, 53, decided rally up residents to support the idea of establishing a place of remembrance following the death of one of her friends “in tragic circumstances”.

She said that following her friend’s death she spoke with other residents in Rothwell and was shocked at the amount of people who had been affected by suicide.

Ms Squires said: “I live near the flyover and I started noticing the number of tributes. You don’t realise how close you are to it.

“I started thinking of my friend’s kids and other people who have taken their life and I thought ‘we need a proper place to to go and remember.”

After coming up with the idea to establish a permanent place of remembrance in Springhead Park, Ms Squires was able to raise over £1,500 for the beech tree and a plaque.

“I put the plea out and the money just poured in”, she said. “Our community came together with compassion and urgency, raising £1,500 in a very short space of time.”

She said that as well as donations from residents across the area there was contributions from Rothwell Lions, the Two Pointers pub and The Maple Café.

Ms Squires also got support for the idea from Beverley Yearwood, whose daughter Afrika took her own life in 2018 just weeks after her 18th birthday.

Beverley has since been campaigning to try and reduce suicide risks among young people.

They and residents from across Rothwell attended the event at Springhead Park last Sunday (March 1) to mark the unveiling of the beech tree and plaque, which Beverley surrounded with purple hearts in memory of Afrika.

Beverley said: “It was a heartfelt gesture for the community in Rothwell to come together and raise funds to create this legacy in the park to remember all those beautiful souls lost too soon.”

Mr Squires said it was a “lovely afternoon”, adding: “It was emotional. I was crying. Bev was just amazing. We were all just hugging people we didn’t know.

“It brought us together for that moment.”

She said that she hopes they have created a “peaceful, respectful space” where people can “come to remember their loved ones, reflect, and feel connected rather than alone” and that the tree stands “as a symbol of love, remembrance, and community strength”.

In the week since people have been down to visit the tree and the plaque, which reads: “This tree stands in memory of lives lost too soon. May you find peace in the gentle breeze and sunlight.”