(Image: Simon Grybas)
Volunteers are preparing to clean and care for dozens of graves at a Bradford cemetery as part of a long-standing Lithuanian tradition honouring those who came before them.
Families, community groups and schoolchildren will come together on October 25 ahead of All Souls' Day, known in Lithuania as Vėlinės, when candles are lit and loved ones are remembered.
For organiser Simon Paul Grybas, the event is about far more than tidying headstones and clearing leaves.
It is about preserving the memory of a generation of Lithuanians who settled in Bradford, many of whom never got the chance to return.
Candles illuminate graves at Bowling Cemetery during All Souls' Day commemorations. (Image: Simon Grybas)
A homeland they never saw again
Many of the Lithuanians buried at Bowling Cemetery arrived in Britain after the Second World War and built new lives in Bradford and Leeds.
Mr Grybas said that for many of them, returning home was not an option.
He said: "My grandparents always wanted to go back to Lithuania,"
Mr Grybas added: "For some people, returning wasn't possible. These people never lost their love for Lithuania, even though many would never see their homeland again,"
The community's grave-cleaning tradition provides comfort by ensuring those sacrifices are not forgotten.
Volunteers gather at Bowling Cemetery to care for graves of Lithuanian families buried in Bradford. (Image: Simon Grybas)
Children helping to preserve history
The initiative began in 2018 with a small group of volunteers but has since grown into a community effort involving around 20 people during clean-up days and up to 50 people during All Souls' Day commemorations.
Pupils from Leeds Lithuanian School also take part, creating candle holders from recycled jars and making decorations to place at graves.
As part of the project, around 70 graves are cared for as part of the project each year, but volunteers do not stop at Lithuanian graves.
"If there's an untidy grave or a damaged grave, we report it and tidy it up as well," Mr Grybas said.
"We'll help anybody. It's about showing respect."
Bringing communities together
Mr Grybas said the project has become a symbol of community spirit, with local residents and people from other nationalities also getting involved.
Polish, Ukrainian and Latvian families have joined the clean-up efforts, while neighbours living near the cemetery have offered volunteers access to water and refreshments.
He believes the tradition carries an important message for Bradford.
He said: "If we all work together, whether it's cleaning a cemetery, cleaning a street or helping our neighbours, it makes Bradford look good and feel good."
Candles to light up Bowling Cemetery
Following the clean-up sessions, families will return on November 1 to light candles and pay their respects to relatives and community members who are buried at the cemetery.
For Mr Grybas, it is a powerful reminder that although many of those buried in Bradford never made it back to Lithuania, their memory continues to live on.
He said: "Lithuania gave them their roots. Bradford and Leeds gave them a place to plant them."