What constitutes ‘Our professional services’?
The fee for our professional services, amounting to £730, covers the arrangements interview, administration, use of the Chapel of Rest, and the attendance of the funeral director and four pallbearers at the committal ceremony.

To explain in more detail what our professional services involve, listed below are descriptions of duties we would often provide without incurring further expense to our clients:

The arrangements interview
This is the meeting between you and one of our qualified funeral directors to discuss the funeral arrangements.  This will usually be in your own home or at our funeral office.  During the interview we would often give advice on registration of the death and other legal matters relating directly to the funeral. 

We would liaise with various parties to arrive at a firm funeral date, for instance the Crematorium or Cemetery, the minister, organist, Churchwardens, and (for burial) the gravedigger.

In conversation with you we will compose the type of funeral service that is right for your loved one, including music, special readings and - most importantly - who is to be asked to officiate at the ceremony.

There will be discussion of your requirements for transport on the day, and all matters relating to floral tributes and/or charitable donations.

We are happy to advise on wording for newspaper announcements and will be able to place the announcement in the newspaper of your choice.

Your wishes regarding visiting the Chapel of Rest will be discussed, as will the type of coffin to be provided.

If the funeral is to be a cremation, we will discuss with you the options for dispersal of cremation ashes.

The Crematorium or Cemetery will require your signature on various forms and we will assist to make this task as quick and as simple as possible.

The interview would include our detailed advice on the cost of the funeral with the production of an itemised estimate and a confirmation of the arrangements in writing.

We conclude with a review of the choices you have made, a reminder of any information/decisions still needed and an outline of what will happen on the day.

Sometimes it becomes apparent that an additional meeting is needed, which we are happy to arrange at your convenience.

Administration
Under this heading would come collection and delivery of certificates from and to doctors, hospitals, the coroner's office or the register office, completion and checking of forms and certificates and their delivery to the Crematorium or Cemetery authorities.

The information compiled from the arrangements interview needs to be disseminated to our staff so that various tasks are carried out efficiently: collection of the deceased, preparation of the coffin, preparation of the deceased, and the logistics of managing our staff and fleet of funeral vehicles throughout the week.

Letters confirming the funeral arrangements will be sent to the officiating clergy (with details being copied to the parish minister where relevant).

If you have asked us to handle newspaper announcements for you they will be composed to your requirements, checked for accuracy, sent to the relevant journals and checked for their accurate reception by another call to the newspaper.

If you have asked us to handle charitable donations we will acknowledge each donation individually and hold the fund open until all donations have been received.  We then write to the charities concerned enclosing the donations, and write to you to advise the total received,  enclosing a list of the people who have sent a donation.

Use of Chapel of Rest
Our Chapel of Rest is provided so that you may visit your loved one at any time, day or night.  Our facilities and services in this regard are designed to enable the deceased to rest in dignity so that the last picture you keep in your memory is positive and helpful.

Attendance of funeral director and staff
On the day of the funeral there is considerable preparation 'behind the scenes' before we leave, including preparation of the vehicles, closing the coffin, recording of floral tributes received at our premises and placement of floral tributes on the coffin and in the hearse.  As well as supervising these activities, the funeral director will also be carrying out a final study of  the arrangements to ensure all is in place. He or she will also be calculating timings (of vehicle arrival at the house etc.) with care.  With a funeral, preparation is everything. 

At the Crematorium or Cemetery the funeral director will manage and co-ordinate things so that you may concentrate on the ceremony itself.

Our competent and experienced pallbearers will convey the coffin with dignity to its final resting-place.  Their responsibilities also include arranging the display of floral tributes after the service and being on hand to provide assistance or advice to anyone attending. 

After the funeral we will be pleased to present you with the cards from the flowers to keep as a memento and to distribute the flowers to a location of your choice (often the hospital or hospice, a church, a nursing home or children's home).  We provide details of the deceased and next-of-kin so that the recipient of the flowers may write an acknowledgement.