2017 Death Oscar anyone?
Last year’s awards ceremony in central London It’s that time of year again – nominations open today for this year’s Good Funeral Awards, the Oscars of the death trade. Since 2012, the Good Funeral Awards have been celebrating excellence in the funeral world and have championed the pioneers, the bold and the brave, as well […]
Lifetime Achievement Award
Josefine Speyer, wife of the late Nicholas Albery and co-founder and patron of The Natural Death Centre Charity “Despite the list of contenders for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award being jam packed with luminaries from the death world, the judges were unanimous in their decision that this year the award would be given in […]
Bridging the Gap Award
Julian Atkinson, managing director of J. C. Atkinson & Son The ‘Bridging the Gap’ award was introduced this year specifically to acknowledge the work being done by this particular industry supplier who is doing the most to move the funeral business forward. Julian Atkinson was given this special award in response to the way his […]
Crematorium Assistant of the Year
‘Brass boy’ aka Steve Biggs, of Mortlake Crematorium Steve Biggs has worked as a Chapel Attendant and Crematorium Technician at Mortlake Crematorium, London for three years. There are a great many people in crematoria throughout the country doing Steve’s job and, like Steve, many of them are unsung heroes, too. It was a hard […]
Mortuary Assistant of the Year
Louise Milligan Louise Milligan, bereavement services and mortuary manager at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, is a shining example of caring mortuary assistant whose behind-the-scenes role means that her work is rarely seen by members of the public. In the case of Louise, the testimony of one member of the public explains why she is […]
Most Innovative Death Public Engagement Event
Bristol Culture ‘Death and the Human Experience’ & ‘Death, is it your right to choose?’ Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Lavish, visually stunning and highly accessible for people of all ages, Death and the Human Experience was conspicuously successful in spurring people to think and talk about death and dying. The death exhibitions and events […]
Traditional Funeral Director of the Year
Trevor E. W. Hickton Trevor EW Hickton Ltd cleaves to funeral traditions and justly prides itself on its ceremonial excellence. The firm is also open-minded about new trends and works in a mutually supportive spirit with other independent funeral businesses. Cradley Heath-based funeral directors Trevor E.W. Hickton have been carrying out the funerals of […]
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 […]
Most Promising New Funeral Director
Judith Dandy of Dandelion Farewells Judith is an outstanding example of a new wave of breath-of-fresh-air funeral business owners – what the Good Funeral Guide terms ‘artisan’ funeral directors. Some people call them alternative funeral directors. Typically, they reject what they regard as the arcane traditions and mystique of funeral service, presenting themselves as people […]
Funeral Arranger of the Year
Sarah Lee of Holmes & Family Funeral Directors Sarah offers an exceptionally caring service to bereaved families and has carried on doing so while coping and coming to terms with the sudden death of her mother. There are hundreds of superb funeral arrangers throughout the country but Sarah stands out from the rest of them […]
