NAFD Conference celebrates the culmination of President John Adams’ year in office

NAFD Conference and Annual General Meeting 2023 was a joyful celebration of the presidential year for NAFD President John Adams, enabling members to reflect on the year gone by, tackle the big issues affecting the funeral sector and spend time with colleagues and friends from across the profession. Held in historic Stratford-upon-Avon, the sun shone on the weekend allowing guests to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Shakespeare’s birthplace.

After welcome drinks with the President on Thursday evening, and a service of dedication, reflection, and celebration for NAFD Past Presidents and Honorary Members, NAFD Conference was opened by the Rt. Hon. Philip Dunne MP, Member of Parliament for Ludlow in Shropshire, with a service of invocation performed by the Reverend Father Kevin Dow CF, of the 30th Royal Signal Regiment, himself a qualified funeral director and part of the Dow family of Ewing Funeral Service.

Outgoing NAFD President John Adams reflected on a packed year in office, including the campaign to add bereavement education to the National Curriculum and the places it has taken him, from the BBC Breakfast sofa to Buckingham Palace. He also spoke of the warmth of welcome he had received from NAFD members: “Attending NAFD local and area meetings has allowed me to connect with members and understand the issues faced all over the UK. It has truly inspired me and has been a highlight of my duties. I have shared my pride in our profession with as many people as possible through my presidential year.”

Speaking for the first time since his appointment as NAFD chief executive officer, Andrew Judd addressed Conference on the parallels between his own experience as a funeral director with the role of the NAFD, saying to Conference: “Funeral service professionals come in all shapes and sizes and share a gifted ability to discern, empathise and connect with their clients and most importantly adapt to their individual and changing needs. It is this same sense of inclusivity and unprejudiced care and compassion that lies at the very heart of our NAFD.

“Our progressive and forward focused vision has positioned the NAFD ahead of the curve for generations and, looking to the future, embracing the changing landscape, and meeting the ever-increasing complexities and challenges of member needs delivering funerals on a local or national scale is what makes our trade association so unique.”

During the AGM, Past President Alistair Huteson was awarded honorary membership in recognition of his outstanding service to the Association over many years. Proposing the resolution, Honorary Member Marcus Wilkinson said: “For over 25 years I have observed Alistair’s largely unsung service to the membership, we all owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for which this recognition is richly deserved.”

Across Friday and Saturday an exhibition, wrapped around the main conference room, provided opportunities for suppliers to the sector and funeral directors to make connections and explore opportunities. There were a also number of education and business debate sessions across the weekend, including one on key issues affecting the future of funeral service and a discussion on the workforce of the future, which resulted in lively and frank discussions - both on stage and from the floor - on the challenges of working in a family business, both as a family member and a nonfamily member.

Other sessions included the launch of a brand-new one-day mortuary management workshop in partnership with NHS North Tees and Hartlepool, an introduction to business risk from Ecclesiastical Planning Group, the reveal of new research into consumer opinions about direct cremation and a session from James Gardner of Viner and Sons on the value of a positive mindset. Conference keynote speaker, former SAS soldier Ollie Ollerton, star of SAS: Who Dares Wins spoke to Conference about his own challenging journey and the concept of ‘break points’, defining moments in life that can sow the seeds of success in the longer term.

Addressing Conference on Sunday morning, Barry Pritchard expressed his pride at becoming President for 2023-24: “I am honoured to find myself in this position and I am looking forward to the next twelve months, and to meeting as many member as possible on my travels around the UK and beyond.”

A consultation on how the NAFD should support its members in Scotland, going forwards, was first announced at the members’ meeting in March at the Edinburgh Airport Hilton Hotel. As a member organisation, it is important that members share their views about the nature of support they want, to help shape the future offer for their businesses. A survey to support the consultation has now been sent to members, across Scotland, to gather views on the future priorities that members have for NAFD Scotland. As the country prepares to enter a new regulatory environment, with statutory regulation and licencing, the NAFD wants to make sure it offers the strongest support and best value it can.

The NAFD continues to represent the voice of all members in Scotland on the Scottish Government licensing working group and, while the work of that group is coming to an end, the next draft of the Statutory Code of Practice will soon be published and put out for consultation.

The views and opinions from members will help us make sure we have the strongest voice to take to Government, so please get involved. Members can also get involved in shaping the future at the Second NAFD Scotland General Meeting for members in 2023, which will take place in Aberdeen on 5 October 2023. More details regarding venue, timings, agenda and speakers will be sent nearer the time but please put it in your diary and the new NAFD Scotland President Mark Shaw looks forward to welcoming members to the Granite City!

The NAFD’s campaign to add proactive teaching about loss and bereavement in schools took another huge step forward recently when the Government responded to the now 11,000-signature strong petition, confirming that it will now “assess whether content on bereavement is needed” when it reviews statutory Religious, Social and Health Education (RHSE) guidance. In its response, the Department for Education (DfE) also acknowledges that “experiencing bereavement at a young age can have a significant impact on a child and that schools have a role to play to help children deal with the emotional impact of such a loss. It identifies the important role school can play in supporting children who are grieving, saying: “they are well placed to observe children dayto-day and identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be going through a difficult time.”

The Department for Education (DfE) is undertaking the first review of the RSHE statutory guidance this year. As part of the review process, the DfE has confirmed that it will undertake a public consultation – which will allow supporters of the campaign a further opportunity to contribute their views to the Government. The next steps for the campaign will be to meet with ministers, including Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP, to discuss the forthcoming consultation proposals as well as maintaining pressure through the media and petition.

NAFD President John Adams said: “This is a very important and positive step forward and I would like to thank everybody who has signed or shared the petition – or supported the campaign in the press or on social media.

We still have a long way to go, but this is a very real commitment by the DfE to consider the overwhelming evidence that talking to children, in age appropriate ways, about death and dying before they experience a loss to provide them with vital tools and resources to cope with bereavement and can engender compassion, understanding and empathy in the classroom, ensuring pupils who do suffer the loss of someone they love to feel supported and know how to ask for help.

“For me this is very simple: the RHSE curriculum ensures children are taught about how life begins, why don’t we equip them with the necessary skills and understanding to comprehend what happens and how we might feel if it ends?”