A CARE experienced couple who fought to have 'missing' headstones replaced in memory of orphans who died at a local children's home want the public to help them remember the youngsters.

Sandy Smith and Jayne Taylor-Savery, both 71, organise a poignant annual service at Nittingshill Cemetery each year to remember the 335 children who died in the Quarrier's Village orphanage during the 1800s and 1900s.

Ahead of this weekend's remembrance event, they are asking the public to act as ‘guardians’ for the children who lost their lives at the orphanage.

The pair were among those who gave evidence to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry regarding the 'unbelievable treatment' they received at Quarriers Homes in the 1950s and 1960s.

This year’s event marks the fifth anniversary of the children’s headstones being replaced following a determined campaign by Sandy, Jayne and their Quarrier’s Warriors Justice for Children Army.

Greenock Telegraph:

The effort was launched after the couple, who knew each other from their time at Quarriers Homes as children, reconnected later in life.

While visiting the village together several years ago, Jayne noticed that the old stones were gone.

They were initially told no such headstones had ever existed but set out to find the evidence to the contrary.

Sandy said: “We walked over and came in the gate. Jayne said to me, 'Where are the kids’ headstones?’.

“We spent months and months in libraries looking up, asking people if they had any old photographs but nobody had them.”

Jayne added: “When I was a child, I got bullied a lot and I would hide in here.

"I played hopscotch and that’s how I knew the headstones had been here.

“We knew, but we needed the proof.”

Jayne’s sister eventually came across a video of children playing in the village many years ago – with the footage including shots of the stones in the cemetery.

In 2019, 155 stones engraved with the names of the youngsters who were laid to rest in the cemetery were replaced.

An annual service has been held to remember the children on the last Sunday in September every year since.

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Sandy, who recently fell seriously ill with Covid, says it would be his 'dream' to see at least one person stood next to each headstone this weekend.

He told the Tele: “Before I die, I want to see 155 folk in here standing at a headstone for those kids, so that when we hold the service, those children in here know we never forgot them.

“We never will forget them.

“I hope that on our fifth anniversary, we get this.”

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the service, which takes place at Nittingshill Cemetery on Sunday at 2pm.