Family arranged burial

Last Updated: 3 April 2024

We recommend you use a professional funeral director to make and carry out the arrangements. The Bereavement Service Officer can supply a list of local funeral directors.

It is not necessary, unless you would prefer it, for a funeral director to be present at the burial of cremated remains.

For families who want to, it is possible to make the arrangements for a funeral without the help of a funeral director.

The bereaved family can handle the entire funeral and while there may be difficulties, these can be overcome by using the knowledge and advice of professionals.

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 Bereavement Services office can advise you of the procedure and options available if you wish to make the arrangements yourself by using a Notice of Interment form (PDF 604KB / 2 pages).