A SERVICE of remembrance was held on Sunday in honour of 338 children who died while in care at Quarriers Homes.
The tragic former residents are buried at Nittingshill Cemetery, in the charity’s grounds in Bridge of Weir.
It was the first service since Quarriers replaced missing headstones on the children’s unmarked graves 12 months ago.
The gesture followed a campaign by the Quarriers Warriors Justice for Children Army, which represents historical victims of sex abuse at the home.
The service was attended by surviving relatives of those buried there, victims of abuse and supporters of Quarriers Warriors.
Candles were placed on each of the 155 gravestones, which represent the 338 children in Nittingshill.
Quarriers Warriors was formed in 2013 by Jayne Taylor-Savery and her partner Sandy Smith, who were both sexually abused by Quarriers staff as youngsters in the 1950s.
They organised Sunday’s gathering and plan to have an identical service on the same Sunday in September each year.
Jayne said: “We had a brilliant turnout and are delighted that so many people took the trouble to attend.
“One woman had a brother and a sister who died at Quarriers and are both in the cemetery.
“Sandy and I spoke about the campaign and the children buried in Nittingshill and we then had a minute’s silence.
“After the service, Sandy took everyone who had never been before on a guided tour of Quarriers.
“We told them about both the good and bad times children had there.”
Jayne and Sandy campaigned for three years to have the gravestones marking the final resting place of the 338 children restored.
The children’s headstones were mysteriously removed in the 1960s.
Thousands of children are said to have been abused at Quarriers Homes between the late 19th century and the 1980s.
Sandy, and Jayne, who are both 68, met seven years ago on a Facebook site for former Quarriers victims.
Two years ago, Sandy gave evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Quarriers also gave evidence at the inquiry and apologised for historic abuse at its’ homes.
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