To the trustees of all hospices in the UK
Last weekend, we despatched letters to the boards of trustees of every hospice in the UK to share our concerns about the new franchise offer that was launched at the Hospices UK conference the previous week. Our misgivings about this venture are shared by a number of individuals and companies who gave permission for […]
An open letter to the National Association of Funeral Directors
This afternoon an e-mail was sent to all members of the National Association of Funeral Directors announcing that Mandie Lavin, the CEO appointed just under 15 months ago, is no longer employed by the Association. No explanation has been given for her abrupt departure, but as the current President steps in to take the reins […]
Dignity in Blunderland
Posted by Charles A relatively new element of the Christmas experience is the themed winter wonderland. We’ve already had our first hilarious example of 2016 in Bakewell, Derbyshire. The Sun headline captured it neatly: WINTER BLUNDERLAND. Bakewell Winter Wonderland slammed by families as ‘pile of s***’ that is ‘so bad even Santa f***** it off’. […]
Modern Funeral Director of the Year
Fran Glover & Carrie Weekes of A Natural Undertaking Carrie and Fran run a funeral business in Birmingham where they have enjoyed rapid success by facilitating highly personalized, non-traditional funerals. Carrie Weekes and Fran Glover launched their business in Birmingham in 2014 because they felt that current funeral and commemorative practices in Birmingham, where funerals […]
Low Cost Funeral Director of the Year
Lucy Coulbert of Coulbert Family Funerals Having geared her business specifically to help families of limited means arrange dignified and respectful funerals, Lucy was the only funeral director in England and Wales to give evidence to the 2016 DWP Bereavement Benefits Enquiry. Lucy gives a 100% customer-focused service, unconstrained by the traditions of funeral service. […]
Best Funeral Caterer
Sandy Weatherburn accepting the award on behalf of Dawn Thompson of Claret Catering What sets Dawn apart is her vocation to create and cater for appropriate and meaningful funeral after-parties. Dawn is unusual among caterers in having a special calling to cater for funeral after-parties – wakes, teas, call them what you will. For Dawn, […]
Wise words
Ru’s opening words to the assembled guests struck a chord with many who were there, so we thought we’d put them on the blog for the whole world to read. Over to you Rupert. “Welcome everyone to the Good Funeral Awards 2016! It started off, as so many good things do, in a sweaty basement […]
Going for Guild
Hot on the heels of the unprecedented British medal success at the Rio Olympics, we think we have found a way of keeping the golden feel-good feeling going. Over the last fortnight, like the rest of the nation, at GFG Towers we have felt the camaraderie of sharing the joy of the British athletes as […]
Why Funeralbooker are backing the Good Funeral Awards
Guest post by Ian Strang and James Dunn, Directors of Funeralbooker ‘Dear all, For those of you who haven’t come across Funeralbooker before, we are a website which helps connect people with the best funeral director for them. When we decided to set up Funeralbooker and were researching the market, it was evident that the […]
The fashion of death…
Guest post by Howard Hodgson THE FASHION OF DEATH ALWAYS FOLLOWS THE FASHION OF LIFE. ‘In the midst of life we are but in death, of whom may we seek for succour but thee oh Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased’ are words that most of us would have associated with an Anglican […]
