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Arranging a FuneralOrganising a funeral can be a traumatic and stressful, not to mention costly affair, particularly when the death is sudden or unplanned. Like any forward planning, it is worth considering what sort of funeral you or your relative want and what you wish to happen to your or your loved one's body, if possible before the event happens.Latest research from Mintel, a leading market research company found that while as many as 70% of adults feel that people should plan their own funerals to remove the burden from their loved ones, fewer than one in ten (9%) over 55 year olds have actually done this (5% of the population as a whole). What is more, over half (54%) believe people should pre-pay their own funerals, but just over 3% of those over 55 have made the necessary provisions (2% of the population as a whole). www.mintel.com Mintel’s research in February 2007 found that Britain's funeral business was worth £1.3 billion in 2006 and they forecast a further 18% growth between 2006 and 2011. As consumers are increasingly concerned about the future when considering their financial arrangements, notably life assurance and pension provision, future growth in the funerals market will come in the form of increased sales of pre-paid funerals among those aged 45 and over. The funeral business is currently self regulating but there have been demands that it be more strictly controlled. The growing commercialisation of funerals and the large number of small family firms of funeral directors being taken over by conglomerates has resulted in an increasing number of people considering other options which can offer a more personalised feel, such as those at woodland burial sites. 1. Choosing a Funeral Director Most people choose to entrust the arrangements to a professional funeral director of which there are about 2,500 in this country. The funeral business in Britain is covered by three trade associations, but membership is not compulsory and because the business is unregulated, basically anyone can set up as a funeral director Friends, family, clergy or your doctor may be able to recommend reputable companies and in this consumer society, the advice of 'shopping around' may seem a difficult one to apply to funerals, but the advice is the same as for any service. Relatives or friends are probably the most appropriate people to ask to help by ringing around several funeral directors to compare prices and services. The Natural Death Centre, the educational charity which campaigns on behalf of the public for greater openess in the funeral industry, believe that a good funeral director should be a 'facilitator' - someone who helps the family organise as much of the funeral arrangements as they want to. Increasingly, family members want to be more involved in the arrangements and help in the final rituals. The Natural Death Handbook gives a number of awards to the funeral industry, including Best Funeral Director. When choosing a funeral director: ask for a detailed description of costs and a price list when getting a quote when asking for a telephone quote make sure that it is put in writing as well get quotes from more than one company check whether the funeral director is professionally qualified and holds the diploma in funeral directing (Dip.Fd.) if you have any doubts, find out if he/she is a member of any of the trade associations The two trade associations are; National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) 618 Warwick Road Solihull West Midlands B91 1AA Tel: 0121 711 1343 Email: info@nafd.org.uk www.nafd.org.uk Established in 1905, formerly the British Undertakes Association, this was the principal trade association in the funeral profession until the mid 1980's. Its members' Code of Practise is available free. The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) SAIF Business Centre 3 Bullfields Sawbridgeworth Hertfordshire CM21 9DB Tel: 01279 726777 Email: info@saif.org.uk www.saif.org.uk Established in 1989 with a membership covering over 900 funeral homes, SAIF is the co-ordinating body for smaller, independent, often family firms. SAIF operates a legal helpline for clients - 08705 234500. The Association of Independent Funeral Advisers (AIFA) 7 High Street Totnes Devon TQ9 5NN Tel: 01803 840779 www.funeraladvisers.org.uk The Association of Independent Funeral Advisers was created in 2006 with the intention of creating a trained network of independent funeral advisers throughout the UK. The role of the funeral adviser is to support bereaved individuals and families throughout the period between imminent or actual death and the funeral, or to help someone plan a funeral for the future. They provide impartial information and support to funeral arrangers and the bereaved, providing information on everything from procedures and paperwork to helping arrange a funeral. Codes of Practice Each organisation operates its own code of practice, although none of the codes is currently supported by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Each code of practice requires its members to: - provide information on charging, including displaying a price list on the premises and providing an individual copy - provide a written estimate of the cost of the funeral - offer a basis or simple funeral A 'Simple, Basic Funeral' The Funeral Profession Code of Practice states that a 'simple, basic funeral' should comprise of; - making all necessary funeral arrangements and providing professional advice - removal of the deceased to a suitable resting place, allowing 10 running miles within normal working hours -provision of a simple, veneered coffin and conveyance by hearse direct to a local cemetary or crematorium -providing the funeral director and all necessary staff -all necessary disbursements What To Do If You Are Unhappy With The Funeral Despite reports of an increase in complaints against undertakers, the office of the Funeral Ombudsman which offered members of the public unhappy with the service they had received an independent complaints procedure, ceased operation on 30 September 2002. In its place, it appears that both funeral associations have established independent arbitration services for re-dress which aim to settle disputes by mediation. The Funeral Arbitration Scheme leaflet is available to download from www.nafd.org.uk and for a SAIF funeral director complaint, contact www.saif.org.uk or 0845 2306777. The most frequent complaints relate to the cost of the funeral exceeding the estimates, misunderstandings about the disposal of ashes and distress caused by the condition of the body when viewed by relatives after embalming or a post mortem. The Institute of Cemetery and Cremation Management City of London Cemetery Aldersbrook Road Manor Park London E12 5DQ 020 8989 4661 www.iccm-uk.com This organisation represents professionals working in burial and cremation authorities and companies throughout the UK. It aims to improve standards of services to the bereaved by providing professionals, authorities and companies with Policy and Best Practise Guidance and Education and Training Programmes. Its’ predecessor, The Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration created the Charter for the Bereaved to which most regional and city councils have signed up to. Association of Burial Authorities 155 Upper Street London N1 1RA Tel: 020 7288 2522 Fax: 020 7288 2533 www.burials.org.uk Email: aba@burials.org.uk Cremation Society of Great Britain 2nd Floor Brecon House 16/16a Albion Place Maidstone Kent ME14 5DZ Tel: 01622 688292 Email: cremsoc@aol.com http://www.cremation.org.uk/ Helpful Books We Need to Talk About the Funeral – 101 Practical Ways to Commemorate and Celebrate a Life – Jane Morrell & Simon Smith £14.99 from all good bookshops or 01803 840779 The Dead Good Funerals Book Available from Welfare State International on 01229 581127 The Natural Death Handbook (4th edition) – Edited by Stephanie Wienrich and Josefine Speyer £12.99 from The Natural Death Centre, 6 Blackstock Mews, London N4 2BT Tel: 020 7359 8391 www.naturaldeath.org.uk |
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