COVID-19 Update

Funerals during lockdown

Despite the restrictions, there are still many positive aspects to funerals, these include:

• Our 24-hour service is available on 0121 476 9111
• The same levels of dignity are maintained – those entrusted to our care remain at our premises
• The registration of the death can happen electronically – don’t worry, we can help with this
• Paperwork can be completed electronically – we can help with this too – if forms need to be signed and you are self-isolating, we will deliver them (and pick up shopping or medicines if that helps too)
• Funerals at cemeteries and crematoria can still be attended by family and possibly friends and the number of attendees is being regularly reviewed – where increases are announced we’ll alert you at the earliest opportunity
• From Monday 15^th June, 2020 some churches are reopening their doors for funerals, albeit with restricted numbers – we are in touch with our local churches and will soon know how many mourners each church could accommodate
• You can choose burial or cremation and location
• You can choose the date and time for the funeral
• You are still able to choose from a selection of quality British made coffins
• We have a choice of black or silver Jaguar hearses or a black classic Rolls Royce hearse – horse drawn hearses (and a whole range of other hearses) are also available
• From Monday 22^nd June 2020 we hope to be able to reintroduce limousines for funerals as perspex dividers are being fitted to our four black and two silver limousines
• The cortege is still able to leave from a local address and for mourners to travel behind it to the service venue taking a particular route if required
• We are always happy to place with your loved one any letters or photographs you may wish to send to us
• We can arrange flowers on your behalf
• The option to make charitable donations is available through our online obituary pages ensuring that much needed donations are still received by your chosen charity – we can arrange this for you
• If you wish to provide your own bearers that is entirely possible, or we can provide pallbearers to ensure the coffin is transferred safely from the hearse into the crematorium or to the graveside.
• Webcasting/Live Streaming is available at most crematoria and this allows others who are unable to attend to have the option of watching the funeral from a distance
• Recording of the service is also available and this can be saved to a DVD or uploaded to the internet if wished
• A visual tribute could be incorporated into a funeral service and recent examples include video recordings of family members giving a eulogy or reading poems and these being played at the funeral service on the screen within the chapel
• Flowers, flags and photographs can be placed upon the coffin
• Your loved ones’ funeral can be led by a minister of religion, a civil or humanist celebrant or a family member
• You can choose the music to be played and there are several opportunities when this can happen
• Hymns may still be sung, and we are able to provide an organist to accompany the singing or source recorded choral versions which can be sung along to
• Printed orders of service can be provided – these may be provided with envelopes to enable them to be sent to family and friends
• Eulogies may still be given by family members who are present
• Ashes can be retained by us in our Chapel of Rest
• We are able to provide a wide range of memorial jewellery, keepsake urns, scatter tubes and caskets
• Our Ivy Suite can be made available to families in the future for a memorial service
• Our website is regularly updated when innovative ways to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones become known

Every day we seek to improve what we do and to respond to the changes in policies and procedures in a positive way.  Rest assured that as soon as policy and procedures change we’ll do our best to communicate them to as soon as we’re able.

Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns.

With our very best wishes.

Derek & Sarah.