Beachside ceremony for children in Mandurah

A small beachside ceremony to honour deceased children is aimed at removing the isolation bereaved parents can feel after losing a child, said The Compassionate Friends Mandurah secretary Tina Pearce.

The Flowers on the Water ceremony to mark International Children's Memorial Day is a tradition unique to The Compassionate Friends and is an important event on the Mandurah chapter's calendar.

Mrs Pearce said the group helped her to grieve after she lost her four-year-old son Ian to epiglottitis in 1981.

She said being surrounded be people who had been through similar experiences made it easier to deal with what happened.

Mrs Pearce said the ceremony at Rotary Park, Palm Beach, on Sunday, February 1, offered a peaceful time for parents to reflect on their late children, speak in public about them or say a poem in their honour.

She said the Flowers on the Water ceremony invited parents to send a message to their lost loved ones on biodegradable material attached to a carnation, which was cast into the ocean as a gesture of love.

Mrs Pearce said attendees could expect a lot of hugs and tears to start with, but smiles at the end.

"People leave feeling as though they've found somewhere to belong and are among people who truly understand what they're going through," she said.

Afterwards, participants will be treated to a sausage sizzle and beverage.

Mrs Pearce said parents, grandparents, siblings and close friends were welcome to attend the memorial, which commemorated the anniversary of TCF forming in Nottingham, UK.

For more information or to RSVP, contact 9535 7761 for catering purposes.