Funeral Service Times August 2017 April 2019 | Page 6

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DISPATCHES
Local Read Easy group Co-op
Funeralcare donation
Funeral professionals at Co-operative Funeralcare in Shaftesbury,
have been regularly supporting
Read Easy Gillingham and
Shaftesbury through use of their
conference room
A local branch of Co-
operative Funeralcare has
donated a new set of books
to Read Easy Gillingham and
Shaftesbury, which helps adults who struggle with reading.
Funeral professionals at Co-operative Funeralcare in Shaftesbury,
have been regularly supporting Read Easy Gillingham and
Shaftesbury through the use of their conference room. The funeral
director was said to be “so impressed” by the work of the local
group that they have also donated £200 to buy a new set of reading
manuals.
Read Easy is a not-for-profit organisation that recruits, trains and
supports volunteers to give free one-to-one help to adults who find
reading difficult for any reason. The local project covers Shaftesbury,
Gillingham, Wincanton, Sherborne and the surrounding villages.
Co-ordinator for the local group, Jenny Pope, said: “It is estimated
that one in six adults in the UK struggles, or lacks confidence, with
reading. Read Easy is flexible and confidential to learn at your own
pace with a volunteer coach to help. Currently we have 24 adults
enrolled with two more starting soon.”
“The recent donation has been used to buy one complete set of
reading manuals and books as well as two books of worksheets
used for improving reading and writing fluency a total of 37 books
altogether – this is so much appreciated, thank you very much to our
friends at Southern Co-op.”
Co-op Funeralcare appoints
2,500th apprentice
The funeral service provider
is currently the only national
funeral director to provide
an apprenticeship scheme
in ‘Funeral Operations and
Services’
Co-op Funeralcare has announced it has recruited its 2,500th
apprentice, after achieving itstarget of recruiting an apprentice per
day in 2018.
The 2,500th recruit turned to the funeral profession as a
second career after spending over 20 years as a civil servant. The
apprentice spent her career working for the government as an
immigration officer before her relocation led to a change in career.
Co-op says the apprenticeship has attracted a diverse range
of applicants over the past six years, with its current apprentices
ranging from ages 21 to 71. The funeral director saw an intake of
30 to 40 new recruits every month in 2018. Co-op says it is on
track to continue to recruit the same number of apprentices again
throughout 2019.
Karen Seth, people director for Co-op Funeral and Life Planning,
said: “Working within the funeral industry can be an extremely
rewarding and satisfying career. Our apprenticeship programme
proves that and we’re still attracting such a strong pool of
applicants almost six years since the launch.”
Co-op Funeralcare delivers the apprenticeship in partnership
APRIL 2019
Dignity’s profits drop
as funeral price war
continues
The funeral provider reduced its prices by around 25% at the
beginning of 2018
Funeral provider Dignity has seen a decline in revenue and profits
in its preliminary results for the 52 weeks to 28 December 2018.
Describing the year as one of “radical change”, the company’s
revenue decreased by 3% to £315.6m from £324m while its
underlying operating profit saw a 23% drop to £80.2m. In 2017, this
figure was £104.6m.
The company said its funeral market share increased slightly
during the year, and it saw 599,000 deaths as expected.
In January last year, Dignity reduced the price of a simple funeral
by 25% and froze the price of a traditional funeral. This resulted in
its average income per funeral falling from £3,222 to £2,973.
Mike McCollum, chief executive of Dignity, said: “2018 marked the
beginning of a period of radical change for Dignity. We reduced our
funeral prices, created a broader range of choices for clients and
embarked on plans to transform the business by the end of 2021.
“Our vision is to lead the funeral sector in terms of quality,
standards and value-for-money.
To achieve this we are building
a more coherent, cohesive and
technology-enabled business, one
geared to meeting the changing
needs of our customers.”
Farmer builds round
barrows on farm as
alternative funeral venue
The barrows can also serve
as storage for ashes
A farmer has stepped into
the funeral trade by opening
his working farm up to be an
alternative ash storage and
funeral site.
Richard Beeby has set up
the company Mid-England
Barrow in the hopes of offering an end of life option which sits between
quirky and traditional concepts.
A round barrow has been built on the farm on the
Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire border, and is open to
members of the public.
Round barrows or tumuli were first built in the UK around 5,000
years ago, with a number being sited around Stonehenge. They used
to be erected over graves, but modern ones serve as individual niches
for urns.
The niches are built into the walls of the barrows, then secured with
personalised covers made from stone, glass or other materials. Each
niche can hold up to five urns.
Construction of the barrow began on 11 March and it is expected to
be completed in summer. Open days will be held and the company is
currently taking reservations for ash storage.
Beeby said: “The modern barrow offers a final resting place of
peace and tranquility, built from locally sourced stone, hand shaped
to fit each and every spot. Inside its cool environment or aura, gives a
breathtaking sense of mystery, and that rare feeling when a shiver goes
down your spine.”
www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk