Funeral Time issue 2 2021

The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

2021 Vol.21 No.2

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The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

Obituary Samuel Hamilton 5

Contents

Grey’s turn funeral home green 17

Obituary - Samuel Hamilton............................................................................................................ 5 Funeral Partners keeping connected with the community..............................................12 Sean Healy raises concerns over cemetery staffing.............................................................14 Grey’s funeral home turns green...................................................................................................17 New funeral business opens in Dublin...................................................................................... 18 IAFD News..............................................................................................................................................22 BIE News ................................................................................................................................................26 Sheena Bradley pays tribute to funeral directors................................................................34 What’s another year by Padraic Cawley.....................................................................................41 Ben Whitworth says ‘Something doesn’t smell right’.........................................................47 Lakelands Crematorium play their part................................................................................... 50 NAFD News ..........................................................................................................................................56 The Undertones Billy Doherty drums up support..............................................................63 Sue Anne O’Donnell adds some personality........................................................................ 64 SAIF News ............................................................................................................................................ 68 The state of memorialisation by Jennifer Muldowney......................................................72 Mattie Lennon is dead serious about living coffins............................................................74 Dr Bill Webster on the importance of a meaningful goodbye......................................76 Classifieds .............................................................................................................................................80

Fair and square new product 38

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING CONTACTS: Graham Brown, Ruth McQuillan, Vikki Crangle, Paula Hanna Tel: (028) 3835 5060 (048) from ROI Funeral Times is owned and published by: InHouse Publications, 1 Annagh Drive, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF E: sales@funeraltimes.com

Disclaimer: Readers are urged to support the magazine’s advertisers, but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any claims made or implied in the advertisements. The publishers reserve the right to refuse advertising. Opinions expressed in this magazine by contributing writers and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contributed for inclusion in this magazine but no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from the use of published articles. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent. Articles and photographs for inclusion are welcomed but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for their loss or damage however caused.

FuneralTimes | 3

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Email: fearghas@fearghasquinn.com

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OBITUARY

Mr Samuel Hamilton

F

uneral directors across Co. Derry and throughout Ireland were greatly saddened and shocked by the death of Mr Samuel Hamilton, 18 Deerpark Road, Bellaghy on 7th January 2021 after a short illness.

Born and brought up in Bellaghy, he was the only son of the late William and Annie Hamilton and brother of Nancy, Linda, Heather and Shirley. In 1989 he married Ruth Hill. Samuel and Ruth had over 31 years of married life together and were blessed with three sons - William, Thomas and Edward.

After his father’s death in 1993 Samuel carried on the family businesses as a funeral director, pub owner and running a Dairy farm. His son Thomas is taking the Hamilton family into the fourth generation of undertaking by carrying on Hamilton’s Funeral Services.

Samuel enjoyed the simple pleasures of life brought by having family and friends around him. He was a lifelong member of Bellaghy Presbyterian Church, serving on the church committee for many years and singing in the church choir. Samuel was a well known and respected member of the community and that respect was made obvious by the expressions of sympathy and kindness shown to his family following his death. Samuel will be greatly missed by all who knew him but most of all by his wife Ruth and sons William, Thomas and Edward.

FuneralTimes | 5

Ensure that your phone number, email, Eircode and maps are easy to find and click.

Ensure that it will be found by internet searches for funeral directors/undertakers with reference to your local area. This is called search engine optimisation (SEO).

Ensure your website is registered with Google My Business.

Be Easy to Find and Contact

02

Think Like Your Customer

01

Show images and photos of you and your team along with images of the local area. This brings a sense of personality and locality to your website. e.g. Funeral Home exterior, photos of the owners/staff – don’t be SHY!!

Be Local and Personal

Z

03 04

Ensure that your website; • Is Smartphone Ready • Loads quickly • Can be navigated easily to find what users are looking for

Be User-friendly

05

Chat – many people now like to interact with you through social media chatting tools – this can be linked from your website to your Facebook messenger over WhatsApp accounts.

Engagement online with funeral director Facebook pages has exploded during the COVID pandemic.

Are you missing out?

Many website visitors will arrive at your site via social media. Make sure that your website has social media buttons so that users can share your website and find your own social media accounts to enable you to engage with your community online.

Be Social

Many visitors to funeral business websites are curious and want to get the answers to questions that they are too afraid to ask. Use this as an opportunity to educate, inform and show your professionalism and competence.

Be Informative

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Ireland's leading funeral live stream service now available on YOUR website

Contact memoriallane.ie to find out more

Memorial Lane boosts funeral directors own websites O

ne of the most notable changes that the prevalence of Covid-19 has brought to our daily lives has been the way people observe and attend funerals.

Memorial Lane has emerged as Ireland’s leading provider of on-line funerals, headed up by experienced TV producer Pat Fogarty.

Moving to the next phase of live streaming, Memorial Lane are proud to announce it’s new service. A fully managed, live stream facility on YOUR website.

Overnight, we can increase your website traffic by over 900%. The service will be the same quality and reliability Memorial Lane are renowned for, only instead of sending people to Memorial Lane’s website, all visitors will be able to view the service directly on your website. No technical ability is required by you, as Memorial Lane provide a fully managed and hosted system leaving you to reap the rewards of providing a serviced unrivalled in the country.

According to Pat, the company’s motto is: “We don’t just live stream, we create memories to last generations” Clients already using this new service include, Massey Bros., Aidan Walsh and Sons, McDonagh Funeral Directors, Castlerea and Reilly’s of Kildare to name a few. You are encouraged to visit their websites to see it in action.

According to Nicola McDonagh of McDonagh Funeral Directors in Castlerea, “We looked for a live-streaming company that could help us provide a service whereby we could bring absent family members, friends and neighbours together on a joint media platform.

“From the very beginning we found that when we met with the guys in Memorial Lane both industries were very compatible.

“From the moment we make the call until the recording is available that afternoon on our own website we know we have delivered, and for the family, the memory of their loved one lives on.”

Aidan Walsh and Sons - “Memorial Lane provide an excellent live-streaming service.

Top quality viewing room where families have the option to return to our website and look up their funeral service at any time. This has enabled us to advertise our own website as the link to view a funeral service, which, when clicked upon, will bring you straight into our own website. The service has increased our viewership. The more popular the funeral the larger amount of viewership.

“All of our families who have availed of this service have been more than impressed with both the camera work and the quality of the picture. They go above and beyond to provide a seamless and excellent service to both the family and the funeral director.”

According to Pat, who has worked as a cameraman with RTE, BBC, CNN, Channel 4 and MTV, “We offer a customised professional service relative to the request of the bereaved family and samples of our work can be viewed on our website. Pat added, “This is the next phase of live streaming. The offering is unique, the service is reliable, it’s trusted and we provide a nationwide service.”

For further details, see: www.memoriallane.ie or telephone: 087 2046289.

FuneralTimes | 11

Keeping connected with loved ones and learning F

uneral Partners’ businesses across Northern Ireland donated computer tablets to help care home residents and schoolchildren stay connected with their families and assist with their learning during the pandemic.

Funeral Partners ordered the Amazon Fire 7 tablets for each of its 17 funeral homes in Northern Ireland to donate to their local communities as they saw fit for Random Acts of Kindness Day. Barbara Wilson, Senior Funeral Arranger at John Gray & Co Funeral Directors in Holywood, said: “So many people have suffered from not being able to see those closest to them, especially elderly individuals who may not be too familiar with the benefits of modern technology.”

John Gray & Co chose to gift its tablet to Sir Samuel Kelly Home, a care home run by the Salvation Army which the funeral directors regularly donate food and flowers boxes to.

Sharon Boyd, Manager at Sir Samuel Kelly Home,

said: “The tablet John Gray & Co donated was a really kind and thoughtful gesture which has greatly enhanced the lives of many residents at the home.”

John McKibbin, Funeral Arranger at James Brown & Sons Funeral Directors, Dundonald, discovered the residential care home Aaron House was in need of technology to support its residents, so delivered the new tablet along with some flowers and biscuits on Random Acts of Kindness Day. Isabel Harper, Manager at Aaron House, said: “We were delighted to receive the Kindle tablet which is of great benefit to our residents here in Aaron House, helping them to keep in touch with their loved ones and giving them the opportunity to enjoy music, watch videos, cartoons, etc.”

Other funeral homes including James Brown & Sons on Newtownards Road and Lisburn Road distributed tablets to local schools and are already making plans for Random Acts of Kindness Day 2022.

Carers at Sir Samuel Kelly Home with a new tablet donated by John Gray & Co Funeral Directors

John McKibbin, Funeral Arranger at James Brown & Sons Funeral Directors, donating a tablet to Isabel Harper, Manager at Aaron House

12 | FuneralTimes

Funeral Partners emphasises importance of mental health and staying connected during the pandemic

F

aced with social distancing restrictions and pressures imposed by the coronavirus outbreak, it’s never been more important for individuals to unwind and look after their mental health, and those in the funeral industry are no exception.

Social distancing has severely limited recreational options and the ability to stay in touch with loved ones. That’s why a number of members of the Funeral Partners family in Northern Ireland have got creative to take time for themselves and others.

F

uneral Partners is interested in further expansion in Northern Ireland and would be happy to have an informal and confidential chat with any Funeral Directors who are considering selling their businesses. Contact Chief Executive Officer Sam Kershaw, directly on 07834 531822 or email: sam.kershaw@ funeralpartners.co.uk or Acquisition & Mergers Director Steve Wilkinson on 07528 970 531 or email: steve.wilkinson@funeralpartners.co.uk www.funeralpartnersnorthernireland.com

The treasure hunting Funeral Director

M

ike Smith, Funeral Director at John Gray & Co, found an adventurous way to explore beautiful County Down with the help of a treasure hunting app.

He has so far uncovered over 60 disguised caches through Geocaching, a smartphone app that lets users hide trinkets, messages and more for people across the world to discover via GPS. He said: “Geocaching has been a fantastic way to achieve a sense of adventure and escapism, which is hard to do during lockdown restrictions.

“I initially got into Geocaching to give me more reason to go outside for exercise, and was surprised at how rewarding it is to uncover the range of caches and log

Mike Smith Geocaching them into my profile on the app.” Mike has discovered a variety of caches including ‘trackables’, which are small game pieces that can be moved from geocache to geocache, while others require taking out a small trinket or toy and leaving something of

similar value in return. He said: “One of the most interesting caches I have found to date was shaped like a pinecone.”

Mike hopes to find many more caches in the coming months and has considered hiding some of his own for fellow adventurers to discover.

FuneralTimes | 13

Sean Healy raises concerns about staffing levels at Blaris cemetery in County Antrim

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ean Healy of Healy Brothers and Dominick Healy & Sons Funeral Directors tells us of a long running dispute between his firm and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council around issues concerning the lowering of coffins into the grave.

Sean said: “I approached the council initially regarding their pricing structure and asked if that additional money would be used to increase staffing levels at the cemetery.

“Historically, the council have only provided two grave diggers to assist in the lowering of coffins into the grave. This has meant that our staff feel pressured into assisting them despite not having the adequate training nor our insurance covering them for it.”

A spokesperson for the National Association of Funeral Directors said: “It is disappointing that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council continue to appear to force funeral directors to lower coffins at Blaris cemetery when, historically, it has never been part of the normal practices of a funeral director and something that has always been carried out by local authority employees, who are fully trained.

“It is yet another instance of an organisation, rather than considering the needs of bereaved people, abdicating responsibility to the funeral director, knowing they will do all they can to help their clients.

“As the Council are not the employers of funeral directors, they cannot insist on them carrying out such duties, and we believe the burial of all deceased persons remains the responsibility of the burial authority, in this case the Council.

“While NAFD member firms, under the Association’s Funeral Director Code, receive full training to carry out their normal operating duties, and are insured to do so by the NAFD

14 | FuneralTimes

insurance, this does not include lowering coffins, which is not considered to be usual practice.

“If the Council insists on this course of action, it is only just that they provide appropriate training for all funeral directing staff using this cemetery and should also be required to indemnify funeral staff for any personal injury while working within the cemetery environment. Meanwhile we would urge all funeral directors to check their business insurance on the issue of personal indemnity for any injuries sustained while carrying out this work and if they have an issue raise it with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council immediately.”

Responding to this, the council added: As per our policy Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council provides a minimum of two staff at all times to assist with the lowering of coffins.

“Additional council staff are provided dependant on the weight of the coffin advised by the funeral director.

“Funeral directors provide an equal number on each occasion. In line with health and safety legislation it is the responsibility of all employers to ensure their staff are appropriately trained in manual handling techniques and have adequate insurance cover in place.”

In a separate development, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council have said that a disparity in the cost of opening a grave at Blaris Cemetery for residents living in the Colin area is “like other councils”. “This scheme operated for three years and finished in 2018. Now like other councils it offers two pricing schedules – one for ratepayers and one for non-ratepayers.”

By James McCarthy j.mccarthy@belfastmedia.com

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When possible the horsedrawn hearse will leave from the family home, but it is sometimes necessary to meet the cortege closer to the prearranged address because of

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Grey’s Funeral Home, Templemore Improving our service and helping the community during difficult times

C

ovid 19 brought serious changes to the funeral business to which we all had to quickly adjust. Funerals very quickly went online, and we were blessed to have high speed broadband and a very good website, which enabled us to expand our existing live stream service. We already had been live streaming funerals for years and just needed to improve the quality of our service, which thankfully was sorted very quickly.

To help in any way we could, we started to broadcast religious services for the various churches in our area, making full use of the excellent facilities which are available here and which made for busy Sunday’s as we scheduled and adjusted to suit each different religious ceremony.

Once this was in place and working successfully, we decided to broaden our horizon and recorded some local musicians performing in our very tranquil garden setting, this was inspired by the other voices serious broadcast on national television and proved to be a very big success, with solo artists only at first and, as the restrictions lifted, eventually social distanced bands and to finish a concert by our local pipe band, recorded in the open air. These were all broadcast, attracting an audience of over 30,000.

At Christmas, our annual memorial tree service, which normally attracts very large crowds, had to be held differently. We opened our funeral home for two days allowing people to visit maintain social distancing and place a card on the tree for their loved one. Some used email to relay a message to us, which we then printed and put on a card on the tree for them. Our service again was live streamed and included representatives from the local churches and a live performance

by a local choir, again attracting a massive viewing audience.

Our 1st project this year was to try to turn the funeral home green for Saint Patrick’s Day, I once again called on the expertise of Thomas Bourke, director of Premier AV productions and passed on the challenge, which he very kindly accepted.

We needed to hire in a hoist and it took several days of planning and perfecting, but eventually our home turned green, mission accomplished. We had hoped this would lift spirits a little in such difficult times, with no parades or celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day. Our efforts proved very popular, with constant drive by visits to our premises, a massive social media following and interviews on local radio stations and newspapers.

On Easter weekend we held our annual motorcycle easter egg run, where we collect easter eggs and bring them to Crumlin Children’s hospital, usually under serious motorcycle escort, but in the last two years, unfortunately our gatherings have been curtailed, however the easter eggs are still delivered to the children, which is the most important thing.

Hopefully we have another big project in the pipeline, which I will be able to report on soon and our new website is almost ready to launch, moving forward in any way we can, even during difficult times.

FuneralTimes | 17

Meath funeral undertaker expands into Dublin City P

atrick McGuinness Funeral Director, established since 1999, now joins forces with two prominent Dublin businessmen in Drumcondra to form McGuinness, O’Connell & Tynan Funeral Directors t/a dublincityfunerals.ie with the head office located at Cian House, 1 Cian Park, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

The trio are delighted to have partnered up. Patrick brings experience of 22 years in undertaking while Eamonn O’Connell has local knowledge and the expertise of his accountancy practice based in Drumcondra for over 30 years.

Martin Tynan has operated an Estate Agency and Kennedy’s Public House in Drumcondra for many years also.

Pat, Eamonn and Martin feel they are well experienced to serve the people of Drumcondra, Glasnevin and it’s environs in funeral undertaking, as they are all local, experienced, professionals who understand the needs of local families.

Eamonn and Martin are heavily involved in the local community and believe that McGuinness, O’Connell & Tynan Funeral Directors are a great addition to the local area and are looking

18 | FuneralTimes

forward to serving the people with care and understanding.

The office is open on a 24 hour basis on Tel. 01 5253660, where families can speak to one of the directors in their time of need, day or night. They will cater for all types of funerals, having dealt with a wide variety of arrangements in the past.

Families can rely on their professionalism to look out for their every need, organising the entire funeral arrangement behind the scenes and without any fuss. Should any questions need to be asked at any stage, the partners are available to answer those questions, no matter how trivial they may seem, throughout the sad occasion.

The firm looks after every detail from the first call received and can arrange to call to the home or at an agreed location to discuss the families loved ones wishes as well as their own.

Available 7 days a week 365 days of the year. McGuinness, O’Connell & Tynan Funeral directors are local, experienced and they understand.

Phone 01 5253660 24 hours a day Patrick McGuinness 087 2540137 www.dublincityfunerals.ie

CASSIDY

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Frank Campbell at his Desk

Funereal Soft Furnishings Ltd, are a family run business since 1942.

We supply funeral directors and coffin manufacturers with coffin interiors, shrouds, coffin pads and consumable products.

Our company has been in operation for over 70 years. The company started as Shroud Manufacturers, part of W L Doggart & Sons, Undertakers Merchants on 26 February 1942. The factory was based at 7 James Street South, Belfast. Frank Campbell, joined the company in April 1951 and went on to be Managing Director in the company until his retirement in 2001.

Franks son Mark who joined the business in 1991 now owns and runs Funereal Soft Furnishings.

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Fleming and Cuthbert Funeral Directors set a UK first with Coleman Milne’s All New Facelift Mercedes Fleet

P

roudly independent, Fleming and Cuthbert Funeral Directors have a long history of exceptional professionalism and commitment to local communities in the County Antrim area.

The business has gone from strength to strength due to the staff’s unique local knowledge and understanding of family traditions that allows them to offer an unrivalled personal service to surpass the family’s expectations.

They take a sensitive and compassionate approach to ensure that families are guided through the process and offer a full range of services and support from their beautifully appointed facilities in Ballyclare.

This uncompromising attention to detail extends to their fleet which is replaced every 3 years as part of their commitment to excellence. Coleman Milne is thrilled that Fleming and Cuthbert Funeral Directors returned to upgrade their existing E213 Mercedes range with the all-new facelifted fleet.

The new model hearse and limousine have

undergone a comprehensive update and features an improved dynamic design, a responsive touch control steering wheel and enhanced interior comfort. The new E-Class has the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz driving assistance systems providing cooperative support to drivers and is equipped with the latest generation of the MBUX multimedia system.

The Coleman Milne hearse conversion features a flat full-length deck, ample space for two coffins and a wreath rail whilst the 6-door limousine represents the ultimate in space and comfort.

Alan Fleming added: “I personally had the pleasure of visiting Coleman Milne and driving these vehicles back to County Antrim and the in-built technology and smooth drive left a lasting impression. This fleet oozes class and the classic design has been very well received.

We’ve always received an outstanding level of service from Coleman Milne and look forward to renewing with them in the future.”

Pictured outside Coleman Milne is National Sales Manager - Graham Clow and Fleming and Cuthbert Funeral Directors’ Joint Owner – Alan Fleming FuneralTimes | 21

IAFD News Covid19 – One Year On – Thoughts of an lrish Funeral Director

I

t is now one year since Covid-19 arrived on our shores and we experienced our first ‘Lockdown’ in Ireland. Did any of us ever imagine that we would be in ‘Lockdown’ again 12 months later?

The uncertainty for everyone was enormous. Not only regarding how we operated our businesses and the services we could provide to our client families, but also the restrictions regarding how funerals could be conducted and the huge impact on families. We quickly adapted to a completely new set of regulations; hand-washing/sanitising, wearing face coverings and social distancing have become the norm. There are no gatherings or wakes which as we all know are a big part of the traditional Irish funeral.

Live streaming of the Funeral Mass or Service offers a virtual attendance by many people who wish to offer their respects but who are not in the family group of ten attendees. The firm hand-shake and the sincere warm hugs have been replaced with online messages of condolences. The new phenomenon whereby neighbours and the wider community line the roads and streets as the Funeral cortège passes has proven to be hugely comforting to families.

Everyone in funeral services has worked incredibly

hard under enormous pressure and within many restrictions, but our mission remains to focus on offering our client families the best possible service and final journey for their loved ones. Funeral Directors throughout the country are all front-line workers. They have all been true heroes for the past 12 months and continue to be there for all of us.

But let us remember the families of those who have been bereaved over the past year, not just Covid related deaths but all families who have been bereaved. Many have been unable to be with their loved one in their final days and hours and have the added stress of not being permitted to have a traditional Funeral as we know it in Ireland. There has been an unquestioning acceptance by bereaved families of all these very tough restrictions.

Every one of these bereaved families have been the ‘unsung heroes’ during this pandemic.

Will funerals ever return to what they were like pre-Covid ?

The answer remains to be seen. We sincerely hope that the vaccine rollout will enable a gradual return to a normal way of life and the traditions that make the Irish Funeral and grieving process so unique to our culture will return.

Minister McEntee announces appointment of Chief State Pathologist

T

he Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD has announced the appointment of Dr. Linda Mulligan as the Chief State Pathologist following an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service.

Making the announcement, the Minister said: “Dr. Mulligan is an accomplished and highly professional Consultant Forensic Pathologist with over 18 years’ experience, both nationally and internationally, in Forensic Pathology, Histopathology and Clinical Medicine. She has been filling the position as interim Chief State Pathologist since

22 | FuneralTimes

2019.” Commenting on her appointment as Chief State Pathologist, Dr Mulligan said: “I am both privileged and excited to take on this important role and follow in the footsteps of my esteemed predecessors. I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of establishing our new team and developing a strategic plan for the office, with a firm focus on continuing to provide the highest quality national forensic pathology service to the coroners, An Garda Síochána, the criminal justice system and, most importantly, to the families of the deceased.”

IAFD Contacts Donal Forde (President) Forde & Sons Funeral Home South Gate Bridge Cork Co. Cork Ph: 021 4318222 Email: fordes@indigo.ie Dara Gillespie (First Vice President) Finlays Funeral Service Tierney Street Ardee Co. Louth Mobile: 086 7923472 Email: dara.gillespie@finlaygrp.com Robert Fanagan (Immediate Past President) Fanagans Willbrook Street, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 Ph: 01 4931000 Email: robert@fanagans.ie Niall Mulligan (Hon. Treasurer) Heffernan’s Funeral Directors Trim Co. Meath Mobile: 086 8208501 Ph: 046 9438662 Email: heffernansfd@gmail.com Mary Cunniffe (PRO) Massey Bros Funeral Home Templeogue Village Dublin 6W Mobile: 085 8010742 Ph: 01 4907601 Email: mary.cunniffe@hotmail.com

Fintan Cooney (Membership Officer) Fanagans 54 Aungier Street Dublin 2 Ph: 01 4167700 Email: fintanjen@gmail.com Niamh Sweeney (Education Officer) John Sweeney and Sons Fairgreen Arklow Co Wicklow Ph: 0402 32333 Email: niamh@johnsweeneyandsons.ie Dermot McCarthy McCarthy’s Funeral Home Gurrane, Banteer, Cork.

Ph: 029 56044 Email: dermot@mccarthyfuneraldirectors. com Edwina Fitzgerald Fitzgeralds Funeral Directors Channel Road Rush Co. Dublin Ph: 087 3512949 Email: edwinafitzgerald78@gmail.com Keith Greaney Conneely Funeral Directors Flood Street Galway 091562866 keithgreaney@gmail.com Tom Lawless Lawless Funeral Directors Mucklagh, Tullamore Co. Offaly Ph: 057 9322622 Email: info@tullamorefunerals.ie FuneralTimes | 23

Four Decades of Mercedes

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BIE News BIE News Ireland Division Hi All, t is a great honour to be given the position of chairperson of the Irish Division. I want to say a huge thanks to Cyril Gantley and Susan Moran on all the hard work they have put into our Division the last few years and for getting us set up on our zoom meetings. These are difficult times we are all going through but it is great to have a fantastic team of members to support one another and hopefully have some uplifting times on our zoom meetings.

We had our latest meeting on the 28th March and it was nice to see everyone who attended. We had a great guest speaker, Mr. Gordon Findlater who gave us a very interesting presentation on “Bodies and Their use in Anatomy Teaching”. A big thanks to Gordon from all our members we all really enjoyed it. I want to try to encourage everyone to attend the meetings as we have an exciting year planned for guest speakers and if anyone has any suggestions on what they would like us to bring to the meetings you can always send an e-mail to our Divisional secretary Jenny Tighe on jennytighe@yahoo.com On a final note I can’t wait to see everyone at the next zoom meeting and hopefully we might be able to have a face to face meeting by the end of the year. Stay safe everyone.

BIE Irish Chairperson

I

Niamh Cusack

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List of BIE Officers and Appointed Representatives for 2020 National President: Bobby Hopkin-Hoggarth MBIE Imm. Past President: Dr Phil Gore MBIE 1st Vice President: Dianne Hughes National PRO & National General Secretary: Karen Caney FBIE White Meadow Cottage, Brailsford, Derby DE6 3DA Tel: 01332 349035(BIE) Mobile: 07786 432014 E: karencaney@btopenworld.com National Treasurer: Michael Liddle FBIE 10 Yew Tree Close, Silsoe MK45 4EQ Business Tel: 01582 490005 Home Tel: 01525 860117 E: michael@silsloe.wanadoo.co.uk Editor: Gwen Schofield FBIE 9 Seymour Walk, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 4BP Home Tel: 01484 851994 Mobile: 07778 279100 E: gwen.schofield@ntlworld.com Master Fellow: David Kaye FBIE Student Liaison Officer: David Coster MBIE IRISH DIVISION

Chairperson: Niamh Cusack MBIE Ballingowan West, Villierstown, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford.

Tel: 086 3744762 E: cusackembalmings@gmail.com Vice Chairperson: Robert Fehily MBIE Strand Road, Carrigaline, Co. Cork Tel: 087 660919 E: robertfehily@gmail.com Secretary: Jennifer Tighe MBIE St.Patrick Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon Tel: 086 8854333 E: Jennytighe30@yahoo.com National Council Rep: Pamela Murphy MBIE 14 Parknasillogue Court, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow Mobile: 085 7415421 Treasurer: John Hawe MBIE 12 Meadow Vale, Smith’s Road, Charleville, Co. Cork Mobile: 087 6390087 E: jmhawe@eircom.net NORTHERN IRELAND DIVISION Chairman Pat Harley, MBIE 67 Creggan Road, L’derry BT48 9DA Tel: 07712 899137 E: pat.harley@hotmail.co.uk Vice Chairman: Mrs N Taggart, MBIE 11 Alderley Crescent, Newtownabbey BT36 7WY

Tel: 07917 220073 E: nikkiknockaning@aol.com 1st National Council Representative: Laurence O’Neill MBIE 98 Stewartstown Road, Belfast BT11 9JP Tel: 028 9062 0099 E: oneill8210@hotmail.com 2nd National Council Representative: Ellison Sloan MBIE Tel: 028 3833 6175 Treasurer: Andrew McMullan MBIE 22 High Street, Ballymoney Co. Antrim BT53 6AQ Tel: 028 2766 2265 E: andrew@mcmullanfunerals. com Secretary: Liam Edwin Boyle, MBIE 4 Bradford Place Belfast BT8 7AW Tel: 07713 575501 E: liamboyle15@hotmail.co.uk Public Relations Offcer: Ciaran Bailie Tel. 07523 477852 27 Navan Court Armagh 1st Educational Committee Representative: Stephen Shields MBIE James Brown & Sons 300 Newtownards Road, Belfast Tel: 028 9045 1021 E: jamesbrown.belfast@ funeralpartners.com Student Liaison Officer Charlie Poots MBIE FuneralTimes | 27

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ortuary Equipment Direct has been supplying its full range of mortuary equipment for many years from their base in Hampshire, England, but have now opened a new warehouse and headquarters in the heart of Ireland in County Meath. The Irish market has always been important and very close to the heart of founder and fellow Irishman William Quail, who has been in the business for over 30 years.

“We’ve been supplying and supporting funeral directors for many years with mortuary chamber sizes varying from 3 or 4 bodies right up to 50+ in some cases” commented William. “The thing our customers love, apart from working with a friendly family run firm, is the unique modular design of our mortuary chambers. This means that where funeral directors have needed to expand capacity, rather than take chambers out and start again, they can simply scale up as needed. This is quicker, more convenient and flexible and also reduces costs. And of course we provide the full range of mortuary equipment from quality European manufacturers, direct from our own warehouses.”

Being the exclusive importers of Italy’s Boxcold Mortuary Chambers and Techno-B refrigeration systems enables Mortuary Equipment Direct to offer a truly unique service to its customers.

And to ensure the highest quality in stainless steel racks and trolleys, we have our own range manufactured near our Hampshire office and stocked in Ireland. During the pandemic the ability to build modular mortuary chambers or even supply portable body storage trailers has helped funeral directors to cope with the additional workload.

Although Mortuary Equipment Direct have

been able to supply parts of the Irish market from their base in England, the time is now right to scale up and set up a head office, warehousing and distribution for the full range of products right here in Ireland. Managed by James Quail, the operation has been set up over the winter months and is already helping Irish Funeral Directors with the design and selection of products, tailored to their needs.

Commenting from the latest installation at K.G. Cheevers & Son in Armagh, James said “We are pleased and proud to bring our full capabilities to Funeral Directors across all 32 counties of Ireland. We have invested in significant warehousing capacity in Co. Meath and can now offer our full range of products, mostly next day across all of Ireland.

We can supply mortuary chambers up to 20 body capacity from our Ireland stock but we can design and build up to any size. Our Ireland team can install any of our chambers and options for our customers.”

Contact Mortuary Equipment Direct for advice, design support or a quotation at any time on: www.mortuaryequipmentdirect.ie info@mortuaryequipmentdirect.ie FuneralTimes | 29

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A Tribute to Northern Ireland’s Funeral Directors from a Humanist Funeral Celebrant Prior to becoming a celebrant, Sheena Bradley had never thought much about what funeral directors do. But since becoming a humanist celebrant three years ago, her admiration for funeral directors’ professionalism has grown.

Here, Sheena pays tribute to the funeral directors of Northern Ireland and their work during the pandemic.

Do people in general take funeral directors and their services for granted?

Perhaps. Nevertheless, when we need them, they are there, offering a personal and professional service at a time when we are grieving and at our lowest ebb.

It is absolutely remarkable how much sheer effort funeral directors — and the staff behind the scenes — put into helping families navigate this most upsetting and stressful of times. And, it is important to note that they are conducting funerals - sometimes several times in one day — in even more difficult circumstances than usual, with all the restrictions and special 34 | FuneralTimes

measures in place due to Covid-19.

Despite the relentlessness of the current circumstances this past year, each family is treated with the utmost respect and care. And each loved one tended to with real sensitivity. It is truly remarkable, and I am increasingly in awe of the work that funeral directors do.

“I salute you, funeral directors of Northern Ireland.

Your proud tradition and the high standards you hold yourselves to, is truly a credit to you all.

Thank you for what you do and how you do it.”

This morning, I conducted a Celebration of Life for a

much-loved partner, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend in a purpose-built funeral parlour. The funeral directors were all there before I arrived — prepared and immaculately turned out with their smart uniforms and long, black coats. The funeral parlour was warm, clean, modern, welcoming and, apart from the church-like wooden pews, almost cosy.

As a celebrant, I have always been treated by funeral directors with absolute politeness, patience, and appreciation from the first phone call right through to when the funeral ends. And this funeral director talked everything over with me

before the ceremony. I hadn’t been to this particular funeral home before, and we both wanted everything to go smoothly.

The funeral director had prepared the music the family had chosen, creating a playlist on his phone and playing it through his own portable Bluetooth speaker. Together, we worked out the timings.

The ceremony began with Thin Lizzy’s ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, ended with the haunting ‘Parisienne Walkways’ by Gary Moore, and we played ‘Goodnight’ by Chris de Burgh in the middle for a time of reflection.

Once the ceremony was concluded, we made our way outside to a sheltered area. I have an image etched in my mind of the mourners gathered near the coffin, which was resting on the trolley.

The funeral directors waited for the last strains of Gary Moore’s electric guitar to fall silent before inviting six family members to carry the coffin as far as the main road, where a blizzard was blowing. We could see the furiously swirling snow beyond the arched entrance to the car park.

Pallbearing is one of the oldest and most important ceremonial roles at a funeral, and the faces of those engaged in the act says it all.

The funeral car was sitting right there. It is not necessary to carry the coffin anywhere, but the fact the funeral directors recognise the huge importance of this emotive act is yet another testimony to their professional concern and care for those who have been bereaved. For those who are simply standing by, the symbolism is heart-breaking and powerful.

Eventually, we made our way to the nearby cemetery, windscreen wipers swishing

away the snow as we followed the very shiny, perfectly maintained hearse. This was the last leg of this man’s journey.

At the graveside, the chivalrous and multitasking funeral director offered to hold my umbrella while I spoke the words of committal into the wind.

The family threw flowers into the grave and whispered their final goodbyes as the snow turned everyone and everything white.

Find a celebrant near you - Sheena is a humanist funeral celebrant trained and accredited by Humanists UK. She conducts funerals in and around Dromore. For contact details of all humanist funeral celebrants in Northern Ireland, please see the inside front cover of this edition of Funeral Times - or visit humanistceremonies.org. uk/find-a-funeral-celebrant.

FuneralTimes | 35

Organising a funeral without family S taff at Finders International Probate Genealogists locate Deceased’s next of kin on behalf of Funeral Directors, Hospitals, Councils, Nursing Homes and Solicitors.

Last year, staff at our London office were contacted by a member of the Council Bereavement Services in the UK to locate next of kin for a lady who had recently passed away. The only information known about the Deceased was her date of birth.

The Council asked Finders to carry out research in order to identify and locate the Deceased’s family, so that we could inform them of her passing and funeral arrangements could be made.

Staff at our London office commenced research however, no matching marriage or birth records could be located in the UK. Research was carried out in Ireland and a birth certificate was located.

It transpired that the Deceased had been born in Ireland in the 1940’s and had emigrated to the UK in the 1960’s where she lived for many years. She had never married and did not have any children. Sadly, she had lost touch with her family over the years.

Further research was carried out by our Irish office staff and we identified birth records for her 11

siblings. We traced her siblings and it was discovered that of her 11 siblings, most had predeceased her. One sibling had emigrated to Australia, and one sister was still alive and living in Ireland. We successfully contacted the Deceased’s sister and her many nieces and nephews. The family were saddened to learn that she had recently died, as they had made great efforts throughout the years to find her and thought that she must have died some years ago. We provided our report to the Council who were then able to liaise with the Deceased’s relatives. The family were grateful to finally have information and to be involved in organising the funeral and burial.

We are aware that in Ireland and the UK there are many similar stories where individuals have lost contact with family members. If you need assistance to locate next of kin, we would be pleased to discuss our services or answer any queries. We can be contacted by phone (01) 5676940 or email on contact@findersinternational.ie Our service is free to Funeral Directors referring a case to us. All referrals are confidential and we are registered with the Data Protection Commission.

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36 | FuneralTimes

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New product is fair and square!

M

artin McGowan is a first generation funeral director setting up his business in 2009 and within 5 years opened a funeral home in his home town of Stranorlar, Co. Donegal. He was also in the funeral supplies business from 2009 supplying stretchers, trolleys, decks etc to funeral directors across Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England as well as across Europe and far flung places such as Cyprus.

Background to Coffin Square Martin was frustrated that no device existed within the funeral industry to assist us in placing a breast plate, cross or religious emblem squarely and symmetrically upon a coffin lid. How many times have we placed these embellishments on a coffin lid thinking it was perfectly square until you put the remains on view and place the coffin lid next to the coffin only to find that one or more of the items are crooked or off centre. Inevitably this reflects poorly on us, is visually displeasing and makes us look totally unprofessional.

Our Value As an industry that prides itself on perfection as we only get one opportunity to conduct a funeral to our very best standard, frustration gave rise to the concept of the “Coffin Square”.

This task of adorning a coffin lid is normally carried out at a time sensitive phase in preparing a funeral and any item that saves time as well as guaranteeing accuracy is most beneficial to each and every funeral director. The “Coffin Square” doesn’t just aim for perfection it delivers it – every single time!

38 | FuneralTimes

Simple The “Coffin Square” is a simple measuring device to assist the funeral director to accurately place items such as a cross, breastplate, or other adorning emblems upon the awkward shape of a coffin/casket lid.

Accurate The “Coffin Square” is a 2D, square-shaped template with four-sided calibration to allow equidistant symmetry from both sides of the coffin/casket lid to accurately pinpoint the exact location of the various adornments to the lid centrally and squarely.

Great Value The purchase of the “Coffin Square” is a one-time purchase and if looked after it will likely last a lifetime and represents great value at under €100.00 delivered to your door on the Island of Ireland whilst saving the funeral director’s time when it’s most needed and offering pin point accuracy in the placement of adornments on a coffin or casket lid.

Early Bird Offer The “Coffin Square” is set to be the go-to device in every coffin room. Get yours today at the early bird price of €95.00 (Ireland) or £85.00 (Britain) delivered to your door.

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What’s another year?

W

e are now one year on from the beginning of the pandemic, and as we face into what will hopefully be our last few months as we are all vaccinated, our industry has gone through some seismic changes.

A year of only ten to twenty five mourners at a funeral service – some of our larger families literally having to draw names from a hat! A year which saw our crematoria set out like exam halls with all the seating spaced out. A year which saw many of us grapple with new technologies like Zoom, Team viewer, and Live storm in order to try and connect with our bereaved families. We got used to live streaming, a huge help in connecting families from around the world when they really needed each other. A year which saw many of our habits and social norms that we always took for granted, are

now frowned upon or even seen as alien! We have all missed giving that reassuring hug, that gentle pat on the back, that embrace, the friendly handshake, letting our families know that we are there for them - that we care.

It’s been a year of fear, hope, disappointment, anger, sadness, banana bread, hand sanitizer, masks of various colours and designs, screens, yellow signs and arrows, cementing friendships, staying at home, and at times, utter exhaustion from the silent stresses the pandemic brings. But all the while, we as a professional caring industry rose to the many challenges that were presented to us, and we continue to mark the end of a life with sensitivities, gentleness and respect.

FuneralTimes | 41

Glasnevin Trust has officially rebranded as Dublin Cemeteries Trust.

We are Ireland’s leading and most experienced community of cemeteries and crematoria for all religions and none.

Ensuring excellent customer service, dignity and respect since 1828.

Our five cemeteries and three crematoria each offer their own unique setting and memorial options – united by a single brand vision.

Our new website DublinCemeteriesTrust.ie provides additional features, benefits and enhanced offerings: – A fully responsive funeral directors portal – Full list of services and their status – Improved burial records search with more flexibility and options – Direct uploading of forms and confirmation of burial or cremation services – Enhanced access for Medical Referees – Funeral Directors listing and information page – New live web-streaming service

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Something Doesn’t Smell Right!

By Ben Whitworth, CFSP, Dip FD, LMBIFD, MBIE, MEAE, MNZEA

W

e all know that smells and odours are powerful things. As embalmers and funeral directors, they alert us quickly if something is amiss. How many times have we recognised the warning smell of tissue gas, before we walk through the door of the embalming room? Turning up at a private residence to make a removal, how often have we smelt the sickly-sweet smell of decomposition and known there may be trouble ahead? Most of us will at some point have had these experiences, but I hear you ask, is this an article about tissue gas or decomposition? My answer is no!

I was caught out the other day while catching up with some housework at the firm. We have large stainless steel sinks in both our kitchen and utility rooms and the only thing that really seems to get them clean, and I mean properly clean, is Cif scouring powder. Cif is a UK product and probably not available in the US or Canada.

I’ve heard that Bar Keepers Friend also works well on stainless steel. We found this by trial and error, but once a week, both sinks get properly scrubbed and cleaned.

The first time I did this, I flipped off the cap and squirted the product round the sink bowl

and got scrubbing. Instantly the smell of the product took me back to my first day in the embalming room.

At the time, we had an old ‘Jack Lee’ or ‘Midlands’ embalming table. Jack Lee was an old timer, who in his day ran an embalming supply company and embalming school. He made his own arterial and cavity fluid and among other things, produced a mobile embalming table, with an adjustable top that folded and drained in the middle into a bucket.

The table was in many ways revolutionary as the embalmer had independent control over raising or lowering the head and foot of the table.

At this point, I should say that I still have one of these tables. It is kept covered over in the garage, and, unless I have a severely edematous case, then along with strong fluid and a good thorough embalming, it is my go-to item. The only downside to this table, was the white fiberglass top, which required no end of scrubbing to maintain a clinical appearance. Enter the Cif scouring powder and my recollection.

Was the point of this story to tell you all about my almost vintage table and how hard FuneralTimes | 47

I really wanted to focus on the power of smell and discuss whether we do too much to rob the deceased in our care of their natural and possibly homely smell.

it is to maintain or to discuss something else which I think is more important? Well, I really wanted to focus on the power of smell and discuss whether we do too much to rob the deceased in our care of their natural and possibly homely smell.

As I mentioned earlier, smells and odours are powerful things, and can make or break a viewing experience. When the deceased comes into our care, we are careful to thoroughly disinfect and wash and clean. This is rightly so. This disinfecting and washing procedure protects us and our colleagues. It helps to protect our working environment and it is the first step in fighting decomposition. The thorough washing and manipulation of the body also helps to relieve rigor mortis and ensures thorough saturation of the tissues with embalming fluid. I take the time to disinfect the deceased with Dis-Spray while they are in a pouch and on a stretcher, dressing table, or storage tray. Once done, I will place a little cotton, saturated with Dis-Spray, into the nose and mouth and then prepare to transfer the deceased to the embalming table. I can then clean and disinfect the stretcher, dressing table, or fridge tray, and prepare it for next use.

With the deceased person on the table, I disinfect again with Dis-Spray and use this time to treat and clean the eyes, nose, and mouth.

48 | FuneralTimes

If the deceased is showing signs of cradle cap, I mix equal parts of Metaflow, Restorative, and Prep Soap or Forest Fresh Soap and apply it liberally to the hair and scalp. This mixture does a great job of hydrating the cradle cap and making it easy to wash away.

Depending on the severity of the case, it may be best to leave it for as long as possible before rinsing out and shampooing the hair.

I then move to relieving any rigor mortis and washing the deceased thoroughly. The washing process helps to further relieve rigor mortis and also allows me a good opportunity to assess the case and make sure I address any issues or needs. To wash the deceased, I prefer a good quality soap like Prep Soap. I also like to use Forest Fresh as I particularly like its scent. Forest Fresh also makes for a great shampoo as well as a shaving soap when mixed with equal parts of Restorative and Metaflow.

With the deceased thoroughly washed and disinfected, I then carry out my embalming and treat the deceased in accordance with the instructions I have received from the funeral director and family.

When the embalming is completed, I perform any topical treatments that I deem necessary.

Are there ulcers that I will need to treat and dress or did any areas not receive adequate arterial fluid and need supplemental injection?

Whatever is needed and once done, the deceased is washed again, then dried and ready for dressing and final cosmetics. With this in mind, I have taken to asking my colleagues to ask the family, in their request for clothing, that they also include the shower gel, shampoo, and deodorant of the deceased. During this final wash, I will use these products. There are two reasons for this. First, I think that it makes the process of the preparation of the deceased more personal for the family. We have taken the trouble to ask for these items, not because we don’t have access to alternatives, but because we want to use their own products where we can. Second, it helps to replace the smell of the individual deceased that we have likely washed away by this point.

A perfume or cologne is also valuable and can be lightly sprayed onto the clothes of the deceased before dressing or even lightly over the coffin or casket once the deceased has been placed in it. I should add a cautionary note:

Don’t use too much! We want to create a light hint of the correct smell, not have bereaved families choking back tears as the chapel or viewing room is overpowered by the smell of dad’s cologne.

Another consideration when making funeral arrangements is to make sure we know what type of laundry detergent and fabric softener the deceased used. I have on occasion had to launder the deceased’s clothing as either a family want them to wear clothing that they have died wearing or clothing is brought into the funeral home soiled or a body has leaked post embalming. Making sure we use the right products help us to not remove the natural and personal smell of the deceased. If someone does not have a particular perfume or cologne, then a dryer sheet can be useful when tucked under the deceased in the coffin or casket.

A colleague of mine told me long ago that he was given the nickname ‘Kleenex’ in the funeral home. I was told that it was not because he was always crying or because of a runny nose or anything like that, but because he always used Kleenex when dressing the deceased for viewing. Separating the two-ply tissue and then folding the sheet, it would provide lift and shape to the lapel of a jacket, dress, or blouse as needed. This is a trick that I like, but I use, where possible, dryer sheets that I can cut to size, which hopefully don’t smell out of place.

Whatever we do or don’t do regarding the smell of the deceased once we have prepared them for viewing, I do like to make sure that as far as possible there is no chemical odour following on from the embalming process.

There are enough bad stories out there of people stopping to pay their respects and being overpowered by the smell of embalming chemicals or embalming powder. How many times have we heard stories about the use

I have taken to asking my colleagues to ask the family, in their request for clothing, that they also include the shower gel, shampoo, and deodorant of the deceased.

of lilies in the funeral home to cover such odors? Another myth we have to work hard to overcome.

In our working environments we come into contact with many odours, good, bad, and indifferent.

We need to make sure that we remove the bad ones and use the good ones, and make sure that whenever we care for the deceased we do not remove or cover anything that helps family and friends identify and recognise the deceased.

Smells and odours are powerful triggers of memories!

Ben is a Sales Consultant with The MazWell Group Ltd. His time is split between visiting customers across the UK and in the office where he assists with technical enquiries. An active funeral director and embalmer, Ben is an accredited Tutor of the British Institute of Embalmers and writes for several professional journals across the world.

FuneralTimes | 49

Lakelands Crematorium play their part in many different and varied funeral services

T

his time last year, we were optimistically hoping that by now, life would be back to something closely resembling normality. But as another summer approaches, we know that the reality of Covid and all its implications will be with us for some time yet. The ongoing affects of it are felt right throughout the funeral services business and what were once thought of as temporary measures are now being seen as long-term, fundamental changes in the way we serve the bereaved families and affected communities we encounter.

All traditions and denominations have been affected by these changes, with many longheld practices now becoming difficult to observe, at least in the ways they would have been in normal days. It falls to all of us to be

aware of these evolving challenges and to be even more sensitive to the needs of the bereaved as they look to honour their loved ones in the way they feel is appropriate for them and the tradition of which they were a part.

Here at Lakelands Crematorium, we play our part in many different and varied funeral services: religious, humanist, and those that find expression somewhere between the two.

We realise that many come to us here looking to make the most of what the current required restrictions ask of them, and with the help of clergy, lay ministers, civil and humanist celebrants, we work with each unique family who come to us so that, even within the limits allowed for the service, they feel that their loved one’s life has been acknowledged and reflected in an honest and loving way. The variety of our experience here gives us a very varied network of people and organisations who can help us and the bereaved loved ones to create something truly fitting.

We are all longing for the day when this most precious and meaningful practice, the funeral of a loved one, will be freely celebrated when and how we wish and with all those who should be a part of it but until then, we continue to work together with understanding and imagination, in a spirit of togetherness.

This is and will always be a cornerstone of the service we offer here at Lakelands Crematorium.

Our Crematorium, Facilities and Remembrance Garden are available 7 days a week to accommodate Families and Funeral Directors (no weekend surcharge) Memorial Keepsakes

Lakelands Crematorium, Dublin Rd, Cavan, Co. Cavan Tel: 049 4362200 / mob: 086 2458489 email: info@LakelandsCrematorium.ie www.LakelandsCrematorium.ie

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NAFD News Education Sessions open to all at NAFD Annual Conference 2021 J oin the NAFD online from Friday 14 - Saturday 15 May 2021 May for the 2021 NAFD Conference and Annual General Meeting, some not-to-be-missed keynote speakers - and Education Sessions packed full of essential professional development topics and fringe sessions to support your business post-COVID. NAFD Annual Conference 2021 sees the launch of a brand new fringe programme as part of the Education Sessions on Saturday 15 May, comprising a series of workshops which enable delegates to choose from a variety of practical topics to support their business needs and professional development requirements.

On the morning of Friday 14 May, the NAFD’s 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held, chaired by the NAFD’s 2020/2021 President, David Barrington, as he concludes his second year in office.

The Education Sessions, which are open to the whole profession, begin on the afternoon of Friday 14 May with a focus on regulation, including sessions from the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand, BEB Consultancy and Ecclesiastical Planning Services on the regulation of funeral plans – as well as an address from Carolyn Harris MP, who has championed bereavement issues in Parliament.

Grab a coffee and join us bright and early on Saturday 15 May for a second packed Education Session, helping funeral firms to tackle some of the key challenges facing the sector.

Speakers include business expert Ashley Riley on building your brand through communication, funeral director Hasina Zaman exploring diversity in the funeral sector and former Cruse Bereavement Care CEO, Debbie Kerslake, on the impact David Bowie’s death has had on the growth of direct cremation.

Sponsored by Ecclesiastical Planning Services, our final session will be from Honorary Colonel Andy Grant LLD.

A

fter completing his Commando training, Andy - a former Royal Marine - served in both Iraq and Afghanistan for almost seven years. Tragically, five months into his tour in Afghanistan, Andy suffered life-changing injuries after he came into contact with an incendiary device, making the difficult choice to have his leg amputated to give himself the chance of a better quality of life.

He is now a gold medal-winning Invictus Games athlete and motivational speaker and joins NAFD Annual Conference to share his insights on turning negatives into positives.

The brand new fringe programme includes sessions on handling complaints about your business, debt recovery, bereavement training for funeral directors, Muslim funeral customs and traditions, the Funeral Expenses Payment Scheme and mental health and wellbeing.

Registration opens on Thursday 15 April 2021 at nafdconference.co.uk.

56 | FuneralTimes

Coordinated approach by funeral sector valued by Government during pandemic

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he work of the Deceased Management Advisory Group (DMAG), of which the NAFD is a founding member, has been considered highly influential and valued, during the pandemic, by representatives of the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice, and devolved administrations.

The Deceased Management Advisory Group’s coordinated approach was judged to have been instrumental in informing the Government’s response, with one respondent noting: “The existence of DMAG has been incredibly useful for policy development as the group could offer a united perspective from the industry.”

All of the government representatives who responded to an anonymous survey confirmed that they had approached DMAG for help in devising key policy issues affecting funeral directors during the first wave of the pandemic – with two thirds confirming they had done so regularly.

The comments follow a letter of thanks from Nadine Dorries MP, Minister of State for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health who echoed the comments of the civil servants, saying in a letter to DMAG: “I recognise the considerable work that everyone working in the death management sector continues to carry out to protect the dignity of the deceased and to provide support to the bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I and other Ministers across government are very grateful for everything members of the Deceased Management Advisory Group are doing, to ensure funerals can continue whilst minimising the risk to both mourners and staff - and we are committed to continuing to work with the sector to meet this objective.”

Julie Dunk, Chief Executive of the Institute for Cemetery and Crematorium Management – one of the founding members of DMAG - said: “At the start of the pandemic we were all faced with new situations and challenges that we never expected to encounter. It was a scary time, and it was difficult at first to issue guidance to support our respective members as we didn’t really understand the implications of what was happening.

“Although the various funeral sector organisations have always had good informal relationships, this was cemented in the first weeks of the pandemic through regular video meetings, resulting in the formation

of the Deceased Management Advisory Group. The initial daily meetings were so important, not just for information sharing and development of appropriate guidance, but also for support of each other.

“I recall that those initial meetings would often last well into the evening, but nobody minded as we were all committed to working together as a sector to support - not just our members, but all those affected by bereavement during the pandemic.

Although none of us would have wanted to be in a pandemic situation, one good thing to come out of it is DMAG. We all now better understand each other’s roles in supporting bereaved people, and I’m confident that DMAG will remain an effective group in helping to advise government and shape policy into the future.”

As well as providing advice and guidance, the sector has also provided valuable data and insight to Government too. A representative selection of NAFD and SAIF members, across the UK, have provided valuable insights into capacity, which has been anonymised and collated to preserve confidentiality before being handed over to the Government on a weekly basis by NAFD Chief Executive Jon Levett in his capacity as DMAG spokesperson at the weekly Government/sector meeting.

Said Jon. “Cabinet Office colleagues have access to much better data than we can ever provide, but official data often takes a long time to collate. The value we bring is that we are able to report much more quickly, giving Government valuable insight into where problems are likely to occur next.

“Although our sample size has been modest compared to that used by Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics, Government colleagues have repeatedly commented on how useful and accurate an early indication it has provided. I would like to thank all of the funeral firms across the UK that are contributing to the data collection, despite the pressures of their own businesses.

Every single contact who responded to the survey confirmed that they would have no hesitation in continuing to reach out to DMAG on policy development issues and regular dialogue continues on a weekly basis.

FuneralTimes | 57

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New DipFD syllabus pegged to changing needs of the profession

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he details of the new syllabus for the Diploma in Funeral Directing (DipFD) and how it will be assessed has been launched to tutors, and students are signing up to study for the newest incarnation of the funeral sector’s gold standard qualification.

The importance of demonstrating a commitment to continuous professional development among employees has, perhaps, never been more important. In the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) final report, a recommendation that all funeral directors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (registration of funeral firms in Scotland is covered by the Burial and Cremation Act) was pegged to training and education requirements – highlighting the importance of registered funeral firms having suitably trained, qualified and experienced members of staff to provide high standards of care.

In response, the NAFD has developed a new career pathway, with an ambitious framework of qualifications designed to meet the needs of individuals working in a variety of occupations, businesses and locations within the funeral sector.

The new syllabus for the DipFD reflects these changes – and there are changes to the way students learn and are assessed too.

Designed for employees working in the funeral service who have previously been awarded the Diploma in Funeral Arranging and Administration, the new NAFD Funeral Arranging and Administration certificate, or have undertaken a pre-qualifying assessment of existing knowledge, the aims of the qualification are to: • enable qualification progression following successful achievement and award of the NAFD Funeral Arranging and Administration certificate, or previous holders of the NAFD Diploma in Funeral Arranging and Administration; • develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of learners employed as funeral directors; • provide a development option for other employees working in the funeral service wishing to progress into a funeral directing role;

• enable the Association to assess registered learners to ensure they have acquired adequate knowledge, understanding and mastery of the required knowledge and skills associated with funeral directing.

Within each module there are a range of learning units and associated learning and assessment outcomes and within each learning unit there are a range of embedded knowledge, skills and competencies designed to equip funeral directors with everything they need to thrive in their chosen role.

There will also be revised methods of assessment for the new DipFD, moving to a more focused portfolio of evidence and comprehensive final assessments which are more suited to a diploma programme and will robustly assess the technical skills and competence of funeral service employees.

The new DipFD also encompasses online learning, which the world of education has had to adapt to over the last twelve months. This will help to make it more accessible for busy funeral directors working across the length and breadth of the UK as they manage the balance of home life, work and study. Karen Vanstone, Education Manager for the NAFD, has led the work to review the syllabus. She said: “The role of the funeral director is pivotal in building and managing an efficient, compassionate, empathetic and trusted team of people to carry out all elements of the funeral from caring for the deceased, arranging the funeral and caring for grieving loved ones, and the new DipFD curriculum instils skills and knowledge that has been designed to facilitate this.

“Studying for the DipFD will allow individuals to improve their knowledge in the processes and procedures relating to funeral directing as well as developing enhanced skills in communication, leadership and teamwork and the modern role of the funeral director in the 21st century.“ Students can now register for the new funeral directing qualification. Please visit nafdeducation. org.uk to find out more.

FuneralTimes | 59

The NAFD recruits for Independent Funeral Standards Organisation Chair

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n March, the NAFD began recruiting for an independent chair to oversee the Board of the new Independent Funeral Standards Organisation (IFSO), which will take over all of the Association’s standards, inspections and complaints function – creating the first independent standards body for the funeral sector.

Throughout the CMA market investigation, the NAFD has made the case that the limitations of a voluntary regulation regime prevents the proper enforcement of transparency and quality standards in the funeral sector.

Even though the NAFD has strengthened its current voluntary regulation regime by adopting the Funeral Service Consumer Standards (FSCSR) industry-wide recommendations into the Funeral Director code of practice, in October 2020, given the voluntary nature of the current regime, where NAFD members do fall short of compliance, we still have only limited powers of sanction in response.

The NAFD therefore believes that we need regulation that is mandatory, is backed by the Government and has real ‘teeth’, but which is also proportionate, risk based and encourages best practice.

We therefore agree with the CMA’s proposal for the creation of a new industry regulator – but, given that the creation, management and funding of any new statutory regulator is always a significant, lengthy and expensive step for any Government (and the industry sector which ultimately bears the cost) it is important to be realistic.

If the same outcome could be achieved by strengthening an independent regulatory body already in existence – this would enable the Government to achieve the CMA’s proposed outcome much faster and more cost-effectively – benefiting both bereaved consumers and the funeral profession.

No such body currently exists, so the NAFD is creating one.

The NAFD has begun establishment of the

60 | FuneralTimes

Independent Funeral Standards Organisation (IFSO) as an independent regulatory body, that will provide a robust mechanism to monitor quality standards among funeral firms. We proposed this to the CMA in January 2020 and have also shared our vision with key stakeholders across the sector.

IFSO will have its own Board of five members to govern regulatory activities, the majority of whom will not have had any current or prior connection with the funeral sector (i.e., they will be ‘lay members’ of the Board). IFSO Board members will not be involved in NAFD’s representational or advocacy functions or hold office at any other funeral-related trade body or professional body.

In the future, all NAFD inspections will be folded into the work of IFSO and, with an independent board, staff team and operating protocol, we are confident that it will satisfy the CMA’s recommendations and offer confidence to bereaved consumers that funeral directors are working to the highest possible standards.

IFSO will also be accessible to non NAFD members, for a fee, to provide all funeral firms with access to a quality standards inspections regime. It is hoped that the Government will ultimately invest IFSO with the statutory powers to ensure that all funeral firms are required to register.

The NAFD is covering the costs of setting up IFSO and operating its functions, A fee for IFSO registration will come into place next year and it is planned that the NAFD’s initial outlay will be repaid over time.

“The NAFD therefore believes that we need regulation that is mandatory, is backed by the Government and has real ‘teeth’, but which is also proportionate, risk based and encourages best practice”.

NAFD welcomes FCA consultation on rules for regulation of funeral plan sales

I

n response to publication, by the Financial Conduct Authority, of a consultation paper which sets its draft rules and approach to regulation of funeral plan providers, the NAFD set out its initial thinking.

Through the new rules, the NAFD is looking to ensure that funeral plan companies are required to: • communicate more clearly with the consumer regarding where and how funeral plan funds are invested; • be transparent regarding the value of any fees and sales commissions attached to the plan.

• inform funeral directors when a plan is being sold with their name against it as nominated funeral director and have the opportunity to agree the terms and for their decision to be confirmed to the family before the standard ‘cooling off’ period ends.

NAFD Chief Executive Jon Levett said: “The NAFD welcomes the introduction of statutory regulation to the funeral planning market. Around 200,000 funeral plans are bought by consumers each year and, given the negative impact of poorly sold funeral plans on both bereaved people and funeral directors trying to service the plans, this move will help to protect consumers from unscrupulous sales tactics and ensure that consumers can feel confident they are purchasing funeral plans that will cover the cost of the funeral they have chosen.

“We welcome the consultation as an opportunity to ensure the new regulatory framework will now be developed by the Financial Conduct Authority, is suitable and proportionate for what is a very small, niche market with a very different kind of product to other financial markets.”

Government recognises work of 'unsung heroes' in funeral sector in response to CMA

I

n April, the Ministry of Justice published its response to the Competition and Markets Authority final report.

Its response recognises the hard work of funeral directors, their important and often unrecognised role in the community - and sets out an intention to work with the sector to craft a standards framework that will give confidence to bereaved families that the funeral firm they choose will adhere to an agreed and consistent set of high standards when caring for deceased people.

In the report’s introduction, The Ministry of Justice says: “The funeral sector, in one form or another, has provided a valuable service to the country for centuries.

The funeral sector is often made up of unsung heroes within the community, with much of their work unseen by the public. The government recognises the hard work of the funeral sector, and further appreciates its dedication through the particular challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funeral directors have met the demands of this particularly challenging period, often providing informal bereavement support in addition to their usual services.

The NAFD is delighted that the points it has

consistently made across the past twelve months (and since the CMA launched its investigation in 2018) including the impact of the pandemic on the profession, both now and in the future - and the significant cross sector work that has already gone into addressing this issue, both within the NAFD and through the Funeral Service Consumer Standards Review - have been heard. In the response, the Government recognises that now is not the time for wholescale regulation of funeral firms and instead will work with the sector to achieve this outcome.

NAFD Chief Executive Jon Levett said: “The NAFD looks forward to working closely with the Ministry of Justice to demonstrate that our revised inspections regime and comprehensive industry code of practice (The Funeral Director Code), which has been created in consultation with consumer bodies and representatives from across the sector through the work of the FSCSR, and our work to create the Independent Funeral Standards Organisation, an independent body which will oversee standards monitoring, inspections and complaints, will provide Government with the assurance it needs that the funeral sector is committed to acting with transparency, high standards and in the interests of bereaved people.”

FuneralTimes | 61

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Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

Billy Doherty from The Undertones drums up support for Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

B

illy Doherty, drummer with local rock band The Undertones, suffered a major heart attack and stroke in 2017. Now, well on the road to recovery, he has become a passionate ambassador for health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).

Billy first realised that something was seriously wrong after a gig in Dublin; “I felt a pain in my arm and could feel a sore throat coming on. I assumed I was getting a cold and that the painful arm was caused by hours of drumming.

I was wrong.

Within a couple of days, I was in hospital, where an ECG and blood tests showed I was about to have a major heart attack. I was taken immediately to the operating theatre, where I had two stents inserted into my coronary arteries. (Stents help to keep the blood vessels open and maintain a good flow to the heart).”

Just a week later, when recovering at home, Billy suffered a stroke; “I suddenly had a pain in the top of my head. By the time the paramedics arrived, my speech was very slurred, and I had lost the power in my arms.

Physically, I have made an excellent recovery. But the shock has been tremendous. To be honest, it floored me.”

Shaken by his experience, Billy contacted NICHS. “As the leading local charity fighting these illnesses, I wanted to join forces with them in warning people about the signs and symptoms. I would really recommend having a regular health check with your GP or with the charity. I’m a fit guy, not overweight, don’t smoke and hardly drink, I had no idea this was creeping up on me.”

Billy especially wants to support the charity’s mission to fund medical research as he accredits forward-thinking research for saving his own life: “If it hadn’t been for the pioneering work of doctors who developed the first stents in the 1970s and 80s, my story could have turned out very differently.”

Billy Doherty NICHS are currently funding the research of Dr Qiaozhu Su’s at Queen’s University, which could produce a simple and cost-effective way of combating heart disease using fenugreek, a common cooking spice. Likewise, the charity is funding Dr Chris Watson’s research, also at Queen’s, which aims to develop a blood test to provide an early warning of the condition.

Billy says, “When, like me, you’ve had a close brush with death, you realise how important it is to help NICHS fund the next generation of heart research – research that will save a life like mine in the future.”

If you would like to learn more about the ground-breaking research we support please go to https://nichs.org.uk/researchpolicy/research

FuneralTimes | 63

Personality filled Ceremonies

BY SUE ANNE O’DONNELL ‘That was a great funeral, a real good send off. I didn’t personally know him but after the ceremony I feel like I knew him all my life, I have a real sense of the character he was. How the loss of their child was marked really touched me, so respectful.

H

earing those stories really brought back memories of the friendship we shared. I love that Granny’s real attitude was brought to life, she may have been a cross old bag, but we loved her, and I think she would have loved today’s ceremony too’.

These are some of the comments I have been lucky to hear following some of the funerals where I was the Celebrant. Now as I sit to write for this edition of Funeral Times, I realise my opening words could be construed as strange, yet it is what I do. I write and deliver ceremonies to tell the story of the person, their life, who they were, their habits, their impact on those around them. Sometimes the ceremony is for a person who was a challenge, grumpy at times, a character, in their unique way. Other times, the ceremony is deep, filled with sadness especially when the loss is that of a young life, or through a tragic accident or sudden unexpected death. And on occasion the ceremony is full of happy moments and stories that bring old forgotten memories to life.

My uncle Anthony died many years ago, he was a real character, larger than life, and full of devilment, especially where my mother was concerned. To say Anthony loved my Mam, and she him is fair, even though polar opposite to him, for she was as religious as you could find, and he, well, apart from his wedding and funeral wasn’t inside the door of a church once he left home back in the 40’s. When there would be a family gathering, Anthony would make a bee line for my mother and in the blink of an eye be on one knee, head bent, hand out and be heard to say, ‘May I 64 | FuneralTimes

have your blessing pope Kathleen?’ Now anyone else would have been shunned by my Mam, such was her religious belief, but not Anthony, he would receive a head shake, and be told something on the lines of ‘get up you idiot before I have to slap you. You might be my elder brother but!’ and then they would laugh before hugging.

He was loud and fun and the centre of the gathering, he taught each of his sons how to drink their first pint on their 18th birthday, though I am sure they had sampled this many times previously. Anthony always told his daughters, ‘when I die don’t wear black, go get your hair done, wear fabulous colours, have a pint in my honour and tell plenty of stories about me’. But of course, that was the early 80’s and you wore black or at least dark clothing, you were sombre, and the ceremony was the same as every funeral before and after, because that’s how it was. Sadly, Anthony’s stories and character, his antics, his clear devotion to his family, his love of practical jokes and his quirky relationship with his siblings, nor his requests, had any part in the ceremony.

How I would love to be the celebrant for Anthony, paying tribute to his larger-than-life presence, shining light on his kindness, sharing how he stood by his family in dark times reminding them even when he himself felt fear, ‘we can get through this together love is all we need’ Imagine the gift of allowing his family to share their memories, weaving them into his life story in his celebration of life ceremony and following his wishes to wear colours, have our hair done and drink pints as we told stories (Ok as the celebrant I wouldn’t be having the Pint but you get the picture

I hope) Anthony’s funeral ceremony would have been one of those ceremonies that was full of life, fun, while also respectful, and honest. Yes, it would have been filled with laughter, yet tears would be there too because his life and his absence would be acknowledged. And his wishes would have been included, how honouring to his family’s grief would this have been….

Civil Ceremonies allow us to celebrate our loved one, in unique ways, with words and poems, stories and more that may mean nothing to an outsider looking in, yet to the family in grief mean everything. As a celebrant I know I cannot ease a family’s grief, yet I can hold a space for them to honour and acknowledge their Loved One in ways that are meaningful to them. It is a privilege to sit with them in the days following death, and be part of their memories, trusted to write and deliver a ceremony of celebration that’s fitting, so that their loved one is remembered, and for those present who may not have known their loved one personally, well, by the end of the ceremony they may have a glimpse of the wonderful fun loving, family loving, devilish rogue they were and have an understanding to how loved they were by those who knew them.

As humans’ ceremonies have been used since the dawn of time to mark important life events of all kinds, to celebrate a birth, a marriage, a birthday, coming of age and of course death, the loss of a person loved, or sometimes let’s be honest a less than loved person. We gather to pay homage, to tell stories, to offer gratitude for the gift of them in our lives, or to share stories of the ‘grouch’ they were!

It is an honour in my role as Celebrant to help you pay homage, and reflect with truth your loved one, their life, their ways, and give thanks for the gift of them on this earth. I am here by your side as you say goodbye to your loved one in a ceremony

that holds meaning to you, at the time of their funeral, interment of ashes or memorial.

Please feel free to contact me to celebrate your Loved One’s Alternative Civil Ceremony. I travel the country for Funerals, Memorials, Interment of Ashes, Anniversary, and other ceremonies. I can of course be present with those allowed at the Funeral home, Crematorium and or Graveside, while on other occasions the Ceremony is held for all the family and friends at a later date depending on the family’s request. At this time where family and friends cannot gather, I offer ceremonies online should this suit your needs better.

With Love and Understanding Always Sue Anne The Celebrant By Your Side Associate Member of the IAFD, IIOC Trained Mobile:+353868239431 Email: sueannecelebrant@gmail.com www.thecelebrantbyyourside.com I always appreciate connecting and if you would like to connect, you’ll find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter – Sue Anne The Celebrant By Your Side

Sue Anne O’Donnell - ‘The Celebrant By Your Side’ IIOC Trained and Associate Member of IAFD Civil Celebrant

As a Holistic Celebrant I offer an alternative to church ceremonies. Every ceremony is personally written and delivered respectfully to pay homage to the life of your loved one ensuring they are remembered with grace and dignity.

Civil Funerals, Memorials and Anniversaries allow us a time and space to mark our loved one’s passing while also honouring our grief.

The ceremony can take place in your home, funeral chapel of repose, crematorium, grave-side or place of special significance.

If I can be of help in my role as a Funeral Celebrant for a Funeral, Memorial or Anniversary, please feel free to contact me.

Funerals conducted throughout Ireland 7 days a week Mobile: +353 (0)86 8239431 Email: sueannecelebrant@gmail.com / Website: thecelebrantbyyourside.com FuneralTimes | 65

Don from O’Keefe Funeral Directors collecting their First Call Ambulance

Pierce Coachbuilders First Call Ambulance Comprehensive Grief Support Resources

The Centre for the

Grief Journey After Dr. Bill Webster lost his son 2 years ago, he recommitted himself to assisting those suffering the loss of a loved one.

His newly designed website contains a wealth of timely articles, numerous videos , live online sessions and ongoing support programs to help people in your care and community navigate the grief journey.

Visit www.griefjourney.com to start your journey.

66 | FuneralTimes

www.coachbuilders.ie sales@coachbuilders.ie Tel: +353 87 269 0044 Ballyfinane, Firies, Killarney, Co. Kerry

Join the association that’s leading the way.

Representing and promoting the interests of 850 independent funeral directors.

SAIF is at the forefront of tackling the big industry issues that matter to you.

As the united voice of independent funeral directors we have led the way in setting the highest standards of professionalism and conduct within the industry. By joining SAIF you too can demonstrate that you uphold this same commitment.

For over 25 years SAIF has been promoting and protecting the interests and values of independent funeral directors. Supporting our members is at the heart of everything we do, listening, responding and engaging to secure your independent future.

Join SAIF now: visit saif.org.uk or call us on 0345 230 6777 or 01279 726 777

Saif News Saif News SLACK– the new communication portal for SAIF Funeral Directors I

f you are a funeral director member and have received an invitation to join slack – please do.

If you have not received an invitation, then please either call the SAIF Business Centre on 01279 726777 or email info@saif.org.uk.

Once you receive the link simply click on it and

follow the instructions, once you have access to the application. For basic user instructions you can find the webinar that was hosted by Declan Maguire by logging into the secure members area and visiting the Events & Training page, where this and other previous webinars are recorded.

Occupational Health What is Occupational Health?

T

hese are specialist nursing advisers concerned with the promotion of health and prevention of ill health in employees.

It is about managing the effect of the work environment on health and the effect of health on work and where appropriate, advising on reasonable adjustments and adaptations to a person’s job or workplace to be considered by managers.

It is then up to your manager to consider this advice and decide whether it is practical or feasible to put these adjustments and adaptations in place.

A company may use an occupational health advisor if assistance is required: • to assist with an employee in returning back to work and consideration of any reasonable adaptations and adjustments • provision of independent advice to managers to assist with the management of sickness absence • to support the employee in the delivery of their work role If you require this support or would like to speak to an Occupational Health Advisor please contact the SAIF Business Centre on 01279 726777 or email claire@saif.org.uk

IFD College Courses 2021 The IFD College is currently scheduling courses via Zoom.

Places are limited and courses are booking up quickly so please check for availability online at ifdcollege.org/ education/course-dates.

Please contact the College Administrator, Corinne, if you would like more information, or to make a booking.

FuneralTimes | 69

Saif News Saif News HM Government’s Tell Us Once Service – New Video Slideshow O

ver the last several months the ‘Tell Us Once Service’ has been designing a new short information video. Following testing and feedback, they are delighted to say that it has now been launched.

It explains simply and compassionately how the Tell Us Once service is there to help bereaved citizens inform many government organisations and public sector pension providers, just once, of a death.

The video slideshow is less than three minutes long and can be accessed by visiting https://www.youtube.com/ watch?reload=9&v=Xw0Ob59HFEY. They also hope to also add the link to the ‘What to do after someone dies’ page on GOV.UK https:// www.gov.uk/after-a-death in due course.

We have asked to pass on the possibility of the link being included on websites to support the profession and their clients which will hopefully

increase awareness of the service.

If you require any marketing material these are available in the form of flyers and posters in English and Welsh versions. The flyers are also available in large print.

Please raise any requirements or share any feedback about the service with the Tell Us Once Communications Team at: tellusonce. communications@dwp.gov.uk Remember to follow SAIF on Facebook and Twitter @nationalSAIF

Meet the Team Many of you may have spoken to the SAIF Business Centre at one time or another but apart from continuing to provide the support to our members each of the team has a key responsibility: Terry Tennens: Chief Executive Claire Day: Administration Manager Corinne Pengelly: The administrator for The Independent Funeral Director (IFD) College Maria Sherlock: Administers the new application process Sam Reynolds: Administers the quality assurance inspections and the annual

subscription renewals Angela Camp: Administers the digital arena including the SAIF website, SAIF briefings,

social media, webinars as well as arranging and coordinating

regional meetings 70 | FuneralTimes

New Delivery -

Quinn Hearse and Limousine

Sullivan & Sons, Borrisokane Co. Tipperary, fresh Buick fleet provided by Quinn Hearse & Limousine

Mortuary Services & Training Specialists Professional and very Competitive Repatriation Service.

Nationwide Collection and Embalming Service.

Daily Collections from Dublin Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc. (deceased can be then collected from our premises or delivered to your Funeral Home)

Fully Equipped Fleet of Private Ambulances Woodstock Ind. Est. Athy, Co. Kildare

086 0619500 059 8631541 085 7671582 www.mortuary-science.ie FuneralTimes | 71

Muldowney Memorials is the best advocate you and your families need today.

Someone who is there to help your families see the passionate and knowledgeable supporter you really are.

We will encourage and guide you in updating and renewing your expertise and outsource services where needed to completely pay homage to a life lost that will engage all five of the human senses.

You need to get all of those precious details right the first and only time for your families.

You are a part of a community who cares for their community’s loved ones when they pass, you know your family's best and we can help you to bring them the very best.

Services include: Memorial Planning Memorial staff education and training Celebrant officiation Celebrant education and training Staff sales training on value-added offerings Modernization consultancy Rebranding consultancy Service/product brand ambassadorship PR & marketing - digitally and beyond B2C communication strategy

www.muldowneymemorials.com

Jennifer Muldowney is the event planner for memorials in the United States of America and Ireland and currently partnered with the prestigious Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel in NYC as their in-house event planner.

Jennifer is also notable as author of Say Farewell Your Way, Tedx speaker of ‘Grief as Unique as your Heartbeat’ and host of ‘The Glam Reaper Podcast’.

Check out Muldowney Memorials (.com) to learn more.

By Jennifer Muldowney

What do we know about the state of memorialisation in Ireland?

• The cremation rate is picking up momentum against traditional burial • There is a declining participation in Organized Religion • There are more and more requests for a less “Funeral-y” Service • And families are holding Off-Site (non-chapel/ church) Memorials all around funeral homes and more importantly WITHOUT funeral homes.

What are Off-Site Events?

Funeral style events that do not happen in a funeral home or a religious venue Typically involve catering, often with alcohol and are something most funeral homes will not get fully involved with.

Also, they ….

• Are a source of revenue • Are an opportunity to showcase expertise • Are an opportunity to stand out from the crowd • Bring Families back more consistently as your offering has expanded ten-fold

• Are a Blank Canvas • Are the typical funeral transformed What is the Idea?

• Basic packages in different Price Ranges & Venue Capacities • Convenience to family of an Organized Team without hiring full time staff • Who better to organize a Memorial than the funeral home?

• Captivating media presents a tangible offering • Securing a Deposit before a family walks out your doors Creating Partnerships that work for Everyone!

• Vendors that will excel • Steady revenue stream • Proximity to Neighbourhood • Value for money to family • Variety of price points • Variety of capacity offerings • Knowledge of funeral home reputation • Unique Personalization • Increased Sales Potential Ok grand but how to broach the subject?

1. Family wants a ‘simple/ direct’ cremation - ”Where will you be having a memorial service?”

2. Family talks of 200+ guests ”We have partnerships with venues that can hold up to 1200 people and we could arrange a priest/rabbi?”

3. Family wants something different - ”Some people find churches and funeral homes too traditional, have you considered a different venue?”

4. Family wants no hassle - ”We can arrange for everything including invitations to be sent out” ”Sounds good” = Next Step!

This is THE Opportunity to Showcase what you can do at your funeral home while adding more Value to the Families you already serve.

What do YOU think will be the common pushbacks?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Email me on Muldowney.jennifer@ gmail.com and tell me.

FuneralTimes | 73

Dead serious about living coffins

By Mattie Lennon

I

promised in the last issue that I would have more information on home burials. Well... one of my researchers contacted every local authority in Ireland and it would appear that Leitrim County Council is the only one to have refused permission for a home burial.

Vincent Dwyer gave a valid reason, for refusals, to the researcher, “the soils in County Leitrim are classified as ‘Gleys’ and are characteristically impermeable, with a persistent high water table. These properties are incompatible with the soil type and minimum groundwater protection requirements specifically required by best practice guidelines for burial grounds.

These limiting factors are also the reason that any previous proposal for burial on private lands has been refused by Leitrim County Council.” According to experts very few other places in Ireland have a geological similarity to Leitrim. So, unless you live or die in the county with the shortest coastline

there’s a good chance you’ll get the necessary planning permission.

Like the cost of living the cost of dying varies greatly from place to place. It would appear that planning fees for such a project are not standard. According to Michelle Keating of Meath County Council a planning application for home burial would, “come under Class 12 which would be €200 or €50 for each hectare of site area”.

While the planning fee in Kerry would be €80.

Speaking of which, when researching this piece a Munster resident who is applying to their local authority, for permission to be buried in their garden, put me in touch with a Dutch firm which has created a biodegradable “living coffin” made of a fungus instead of wood that it says can convert a decomposing human body into key nutrients for plants.

Loop company says its casket is made of mycelium, the underground root structure

of mushrooms, and filled with a bed of moss to stimulate decomposition. “Mycelium is nature’s biggest recycler,” Bob Hendrikx, creator of the living coffin says.

“It’s continuously looking for food and transforming it into plant nutrition. It’s used in Chernobyl to clean up the soil there from the nuclear disaster,” Hendrikx said.

The coffin is grown like a plant within the space of a week at the company’s lab at Delft University of Technology by mixing mycelium with wood chips in the mould of a coffin.

Mycelium also devours toxins and turns them into nutrients. And the same thing happens in burial places.

After the mycelium has grown through the wood chips, the coffin is dried and has enough strength to carry a weight of up to 200 kilograms.

I had a long phone conversation with Bob Hendrikx, inventor, architect and bio designer who strives to restore the parasitic

relationship between humanity and its environment by exploring a living world. He believes in a world in which we work together with nature. A world in which our everyday objects become alive. Imagine living homes, self-healing T-shirts and bioluminescent streetlight.

Bob has been chosen as human of the year 2020 by VICE Media. His ambition is to empower and inspire people towards a living future by turning science-fiction into reality.

He is no stranger to Ireland. He even likes our weather. Perhaps it makes him feel at home!

And he loves the Ring of Kerry.

Space doesn’t allow me to even touch on his many achievements in his chosen field but you can find more on www.bobhendrikx.com The availability of the Living Coffin should prompt local authorities to be more accommodating with permission for home burials. Even in Leitrim.

It was peaceful at the entrance to Baltyboys cemetery. A warm March sun shone on the still picture of inverted mountains that was the Blessington Lake. The hearse arrived. The coffin was reverently slid out. On its lid rested a set of golf clubs. Behind me, I overheard the following conversation; “He must have been a keen golfer.”

“He still is. Now, the minute he puts his father in the ground he’ll be away to tee-off in Tulfarris.”

I asked a funeral director in Lacken why so many people are opting for cremation. His concise reply was, “Because they’re thinking outside the box!”

Why did the forensic pathologist take off from work?

She had the coroner-virus!

Not one of my best jokes and they get worse.

How many pathologists does it take to diagnose a malignancy?

10... because one less would benign.

FuneralTimes | 75

The Importance of a Meaningful Goodbye

By Dr Bill Webster

T

ragedies often come out of nowhere.

They are unexpected, unwanted and in many cases, unimaginable. Who would have thought that a local virus in a remote part of China could cause a global pandemic that would bring so much of life as we know it to an effective standstill?

Many people during this period have struggled with many losses, including the death of loved ones; inability to visit or comfort elderly, sick and dying; worries over finances and job security; mental health issues and a host of others. We’re grieving the world we once enjoyed and feel we have lost; our “normal” life, our routines, seeing friends, going to work.

Everything has changed. And grief is a natural reaction to any change we didn’t want.

But this is nothing new. All these facts have been repeated so many times in the last 12 months.

But this article is not a review of the past, but a strategy for the future.

The existential philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “To live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” This principle is a crucial element of grief. While the COVID crisis is not over just yet, we need to begin to focus on helping people make sense of it all in order to find ways to help them move forward.

Particularly those who have lost loved ones.

When someone dies our world is turned inside out. Hard enough at the best of times, but during this pandemic, grief has been complicated. Many of the rituals of grieving, adapting and integrating, which are essential elements of the grief process and the search for meaning, have been cancelled, postponed or at least restricted.

These albeit necessary circumstances have limited the opportunity for many to able to

76 | FuneralTimes

have the funeral they wanted. Their seeming inability to share in or express a meaningful goodbye has and will complicate the grieving process.

So the question becomes: How can we acknowledge that our loved one’s life was meaningful, even though the circumstances of their death will never make any sense to us?

I believe this is the challenge facing people today, who, in many cases, confronted with albeit necessary restrictions and regulation, feel they have not been able to say a meaningful “Goodbye”.

A Celebration of Life can help people come together to acknowledge that this life was meaningful regardless of the circumstances of the death.

But, some may ask, “Is it too late?” “How long since the death?” is the least important question. Can funeral directors offer an creative alternative to people who are searching for an opportunity to find some closure in a meaningful goodbye?

I believe there is! Some years ago, when my son Steve died, circumstances did not allow us to have a traditional funeral immediately.

With heavy hearts, we simply had to make arrangements for him to be cremated.

But within a month or so, we had TWO celebrations of life, one in the town of his residence with his many friends; and then a few weeks later, in the city where I live and where Steve grew up.

These celebrations did not make the tragedy of his death any more meaningful. But they were of tremendous help in reaffirming the meaningfulness of his life, and giving his family and friends an opportunity to say a meaningful goodbye.

I believe it is both crucial and beneficial to

give people the opportunity to have their own celebration of life for loved ones, especially where they have struggled with feelings that they were not able to have the funeral rituals they wanted. Many want (and perhaps need) to have a more meaningful goodbye in a celebration of life.

The problem is, they are just not sure how to go about it.

Let me offer something that may help funeral directors and their families alike. What if you had a simple, practical strategy to communicate to your community how you can assist them in creating meaningful celebrations of life to enable them to finally find some sense of closure?

I have written a 2000 word “Newsletter” entitled “The Importance of a Meaningful Goodbye”, with sections on “The Importance of Remembrance”; “Reasons for a Meaningful Goodbye”, and “Saying a Meaningful Goodbye”, with practical components such as eulogies, telling the story of the life and the death, and many other suggestions.

It gives down-to-earth information about

the importance of a meaningful goodbye, and practical resources and suggestions as to how this can be accomplished. AND, it shows how their friendly local funeral director can assist.

The document comes in a simple Word format which allows you to design, personalize and produce the newsletter in any way you wish, in print or electronically.

If you have families who may have been unhappy or displeased with the necessary restrictions that affected how they said goodbye during the difficult COVID situation, and you would like to provide them with some alternatives, I would be happy to provide you with this resource.

Email Dr Bill at info@griefjourney.com to request your newsletter, and also ask us about a FREE grief support programme you can put right on your own website.

Believe me; I know the therapeutic value of a meaningful goodbye in my own personal experience. Would you like to offer that opportunity to your families and community?

Trust me, people are talking and thinking about it, and if YOU don’t do it, others will!

First you hurt, then you heal Dr. Bill Webster understands grief not just in theory, but also from personal experience. In his book, “First you Hurt, Then you Heal”, Dr. Bill outlines a road map for the grief journey in a series of articles that take us through the process .

He begins with a chapter entitled “I Didn’t Plan for This” that gives people an understanding of what they may experience in the early days after a loss. The book then goes on to give us an understanding of grief, some insights into various situations of loss, and some strategies to help us work through the process.

This book will be a helpful resource for those who are going through a grief process as well as containing much relevant and practical information for those who would like to know what they can say and how they can help someone who has experienced a significant loss. It will also serve as a basic knowledge and layman’s guide for those in the helping professions such as nurses, teachers, funeral directors and those who seek to support grieving people, young and old, through their work. “First you Hurt, Then you Heal” provides practical, down to earth and effective insight into one of the most difficult topics and most misunderstood experiences of life.

First you Hurt, Then you Heal: A Road Map for the Grief Journey (Kindle Edition) is avaialble to buy on Amazon.

FuneralTimes | 77

Top Selling ‘Wilcox’ Hearsette for Colin Sneddon Funeral Directors Ltd

O

ur photo shows Colin Sneddon collecting his new Ford Tourneo

Hearsette supplied by Wilcox Limousines Ltd. Colin Sneddon Funeral Directors in based in

Cowdenbeath, Scotland. The business has been serving the families of Cowdenbeath and surrounding areas for 5 years.

As part of Colin’s ongoing investment in the business, he has purchased a new Ford Tourneo. The vehicle comes with a very high specification including large folding deck capable of carrying two deceased, satellite navigation, DAB stereo, heated seats, heated front and rear windscreens, keyless start, alloy wheels and cruise control.

Wilcox Limousines Ltd would like to thank Colin for his custom and wish him every success with his new vehicle.

‘Wilcox’ Jaguar Fleet for Greater Manchester Funeral Service Ltd O ur photos shows David Aitken and Stewart McCrakan collecting a Jaguar XJ hearse and limousine from the

Wilcox factory in Hindley Green, near Wigan. The owner of the business, Michael Kennedy, has been a funeral director for over

30 years. He has two funeral homes one in Moston and the other in Harpurhey. They offer their services throughout the Manchester area.

A valued and long-standing client of Wilcox, Michael opted for aluminium Jaguars to update his fleet. They come with a high specification including luxury leather, air suspension, satellite navigation and DAB stereo. The hearse offers vast deck area, with plenty of height for flowers.

Wilcox Limousines Ltd would like to thank Michael for his continued custom and wish him every success with his latest fleet.

GerryWreath McDermott Manufacturer Circular Road, Roscommon

Mob: 086 2544126 or Mob: 086 8205215

Tallon Mortuary Specialists Professional, Confidential and Caring Services

School of Embalming Qualify for membership of an internationally recognised embalming qualification at your own pace • The ‘Tallon Mortuary Specialists School of Embalming’ offers students and registered embalmers the highest standards of teaching and practice in a supportive environment, with full use of our training facility.

• We offer both Distance Learning and attended courses.

For further information and to discuss how this course might work for you please contact us:

Glyn Tallon - 14 Academy Street, Navan, Co. Meath Tel: 086 826 8876 / Fax: 046 903 6001 Web: www.tallonmortuaryspecialists.com Email: info@tallonmortuaryspecialists.com FuneralTimes | 79

Classifieds... Classifieds...

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Automatic, Built on new car in 2006, 45k miles, NCT Dec ‘21, Perfect Mechanical Order PRICE €5,995

For further information please contact James on 086 2568606

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Bulk buy, very strong and durable, six handles, body ties For further information please Contact P O Neill 07836 687200 80 | FuneralTimes

Frank Keogh & Sons Funeral Repatriation Services

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ROI - 086 8440208 NI - 00353 86 8440208

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For Sale 2001 DAIMLER HEARSE

1999 DAIMLER LIMOUSINE

43000 miles Excellent Condition Automatic Petrol

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Price on Application For further information please contact 07802 604844

PATRICK RYAN & DAUGHTER FUNERAL DIRECTORS

For Sale 2015 FORD MONDEO HEARSE

SPECIALISING IN REPATRIATION TO ALL PARTS OF IRELAND

TEL: 020 8567 1664 FAX: 020 8566 4795 6 South Ealing Road, London W5 4QA Email: office@pryanfunerals.com Website: PATRICK-RYAN.CO.UK COVERING LONDON AND THE HOME COUNTIES

Price on Application For further information please Contact 087-2732706 FuneralTimes | 81

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Priced to sell at £11,900

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Matthew L. Jones FUNERAL REPATRIATION SERVICE • South Wales based • 24 Hour removal & repatriation service • Long & short distance throughout UK & Ireland • Inclusive of airports & ferry ports • B.I.E qualified embalming service • Also Hearse & Limousine hire available

Mobile: 07815 866 652 Tel: 01267 236 787 (24hrs) email: info@funeralservices.wales www.funeralservices.wales • Provincewide service available • Experienced Drivers

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82 | FuneralTimes

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