FOR a quarter of a century a woman has been maintaining the graveyard where her daughter is buried - and she is showing no signs of slowing down.
Wendy Ogley, 60, has been cutting the grass and cleaning up at Carlton Cemetery for 25 years now.
Her daughter, Stacey Louise Ogley, died in 1993 aged eight and ever since then Wendy has been visiting frequently to do her bit.
She told the Chronicle: “I try to go up there every day, and then once a week or every two weeks to cut the grass.
“I was up there last weekend for seven hours, non-stop grass-cutting.
“It’s my way of spending a bit more time with my daughter.
“Everyone grieves in different ways, and I like to know that the graveyard’s left nice for her.
“But I also just really, really enjoy doing it - I’m not expecting anyone to give me money or anything but it’s nice when people say ‘I can’t thank you enough’.
“One lady once came up and asked if I got paid for it - I said I just volunteered and she disappeared and came back with two bottles of Prosecco.
“Those ‘thank yous’ mean a lot.”
It hasn’t always been easy for this dedicated community hero, as she struggles to keep up the difficult work as she gets older and suffers with rheumatoid arthritis.
Just this year she went through the ordeal of having an ornament on her daughter’s grave stolen.
She refuses to let these setbacks stop her and is now drafting her son Stephen in to help as well as her grandchildren.
“I get a lot of pleasure out of doing it,” she added.
“After I’ve finished I look at it and think: ‘I’ve done a good job and it looks really nice’.
“I probably used to be really quick, but I’m not like that anymore.
“I’m in a lot of pain when I’m done, but I just carry on regardless.
“We’ve had stuff pinched and we’re always going to have stuff pinched.
“It’s just part and parcel of society now unfortunately - it’s heartbreaking when it happens, but there’s nothing more we can do about it.”
Wendy has now been put forward as a Community Hero at this year’s Proud of Barnsley awards.
She said: “I’m just shocked - I can’t wait to tell my husband.
“I don’t expect anything, I just do it because I enjoy it.
“I really can’t believe I’ve been nominated.”
