AN AWARD-WINNING Glasgow graveyard group is appealing for funds to help continue its pioneering work in the Gorbals.

Friends of the Southern Necropolis recently staged its first ever exhibition celebrating the work done to revitalise the historic cemetery after receiving a cash boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Now founders Colin and Elsie Mackie are hoping more supporters will come on board.

Colin said: “Our funding from Heritage Lottery was fantastic, as it helped us run our Resurrecting and Preserving History Project with local primary schools and community groups.

“We are now pursuing other avenues for funding and would really welcome any offers of financial support to allow us to continue the educational project and carry on researching and promoting the south side’s very own ‘city of the dead’.”

The Southern Necropolis, which opened in 1840, is the final resting place of around 250,000 people, including architect Alexander Greek Thomson and Sir Thomas Lipton.

“The people buried here are contributors to the historical legacy of the city of Glasgow and beyond,” Colin added. “Each of the monuments is a lasting stone index card to the lives of those who have gone before.”

The project included workshops in local schools, covering the history of the cemetery and some of the people buried here. Children also built birdboxes and carried out litterpicking as part of learning about the graveyard’s environmental and ecological assets.

The project’s exhibition, which was staged at Tramway, included works of art and sculpture by local people and schoolchildren.

Colin paid tribute to the partnership organisations which have already supported the project, including Glasgow City Council, the Southside Area Partnership and Community Safety Glasgow.

He explained: “We have had very positive feedback from teachers, pupils and their families. We feel this is an important opportunity to promote local history and to encourage individuals to value and respect the Southern Necropolis.”