Family Arranged Burial
South Lakeland is fortunate in having a good choice of
professional Funeral Directors, from long established family owned
businesses to companies which are part of nationwide organisations.
You can be confident that they will provide an efficient and
sympathetic service. The Funeral Director usually organises
the funeral by collecting the body, perhaps arranging embalming and
viewing of the deceased in a chapel of rest, liaising with the
cemetery or crematorium authorities, providing a coffin, a hearse,
and staff to carry out the funeral. Providing these services
relieves the bereaved from carrying out what they may feel are
unpleasant and difficult tasks, at a time of great emotion,and for
the majority of funerals a Funeral Director will be invited to make
the arrangements.
It is possible that the dominant and traditional role of the
Funeral Director is diminishing, as new approaches to funerals are
sought. A new type of 'green' Funeral Director is emerging,
more aware of environmental issues, and more responsive to the need
for personal input from the bereaved. You should feel able to make
suggestions for a funeral which celebrates the life of the deceased
and we are sure that you will find the local Funeral Directors
pleased to incorporate these arrangements.
However, for those who want to, it is possible to make the
arrangements themselves, and organise a funeral which they might
feel especially celebrates the life of the deceased in a more
personal and individual way. There is evidence that personal
involvement in arrangements for the funeral will help the grieving
process and speed a healthy recovery. The entire funeral can be
handled by the bereaved family, and while their may be
difficulties, with determination, and using the knowledge and
advice of professionals, these can be overcome.
The Natural Death Centre is a charitable project launched in
Britain in 1991. It aims to support those dying at home
and their carers, and to help people arrange inexpensive,
family-organised, and environmentally-friendly funerals. It has a
more general aim of helping to improve the quality of dying.
The have published The Natural Death Handbook - A manual for
Improving the Quality of Living and Dying edited by Nicholas
Albery, Gill Elliot and Joseph Elliot. They can be contacted at the
following address:
The Natural Death
Centre
20, Herbert Road
LONDON
NW2 6AA Telephone 0208 208 2853
Fax 0208 452 6434
The Cemeteries Office can help in providing guidance towards
some of this advice and information, and the steps which will need
to be followed . It is intended to expand this page giving details
of the local procedures necessary to make your own arrangements for
a burial