Tony Hadley to open children's memorial garden

Violet Mornington, from Staffordshire, was just five when she died of an extremely rare blood disorder in July 2013 - just seven weeks after falling ill on her birthday with suspected tonsillitis.

The former Spandau Ballet singer heard about Violet – a spirited tomboy who hated wearing pink - when her parents Kerry and Ivan began raising funds for a children’s memorial garden in her honour.

He remembered Violet’s singer-songwriter dad singing ‘Through the Barricades’ in the 2000 final of Stars in their Eyes. The show featured a special good luck message from Tony to Ivan - a lifelong Spandau Ballet fan.

He penned a touching letter of condolence to Ivan including concert tickets for a charity auction held in 2015.

With support from the local community the charity ‘Violets In Bloom’, founded by Kerry and Ivan raised over £75,000 and work finally began on the finished design in May this year.

Now Tony has agreed to officially open the memorial garden in Lichfield with his wife Alison Evers and their two children on Wednesday, August 9.

As well as meeting Ivan for the first time, Tony will get to meet three more VIPs attending the opening ceremony – triplets Jacob, Millie and Florence – Violet’s three youngest siblings who were born January this year.

Tony said: “It's every parent's worst nightmare to lose a child so when I heard about Ivan & Kerry's loss I wanted to help in some small way.

"For them to make this happen in the midst of what they are going through is incredible and I'm full of admiration for them. What they've achieved with this beautiful superhero garden is the most wonderful tribute to their daughter.”

Kerry, who lives in Fradley, said she and Ivan were thrilled to hear that Tony Hadley had agreed to open the garden.

“We were really touched when Tony wrote to us after Violet died,” said Kerry. “To find out he was going to take time out to open the garden for us was just incredible. It means the world to us and we really can’t thank him enough.”

The children’s garden at Lichfield and District Crematorium in Fradley is thought to be the first memorial of its kind based entirely on donations from the community.

Created by Warwick Taylor Landscapes, it incorporates an arched walkway, a small play area and a statue of two children dressed as superheroes designed by Ivan.

Stuart Cox, corporate communications manager at Dignity which owns the Fradley crematorium, said: “We’re really proud to have been able to support Kerry and Ivan and see this very special project through to the end.”

Award-winning landscaper Chris Taylor, of Warwick Taylor, said: “Losing a child is a grief that no parent would ever wish to experience so we felt a responsibility to Ivan & Kerry to design, construct and deliver a joyful space where the spirit of childhood is alive and vibrant.

“I’m very proud of my team and feel that – with Ivan and Kerry’s help - we have totally changed the way in which children's memorial gardens are perceived and constructed."