Funeral Service Times August 2017 April 2019 | Page 8

8
DISPATCHES
Kee Cup
celebrates
25th year at
Turnberry
Resort
Benn Abdy-Collins
The importance of collaboration
I’m often amazed by the teamwork that makes a funeral happen. I’ve been
on services where the team alone was made up of people from four different
companies! For a service to work well and be what a family needs, many things
must be both well-coordinated and run smoothly together, I have been on several
where this hasn’t been the case and that’s why I write this column.
Collaboration, the art of working together for a good outcome, is key to make
the whole experience, for both family and funeral crew, smooth and effective.
Anything missing can prove frustrating, stressful, a poor experience and even on
occasion, dangerous, and when things are not well organised, things often go
wrong, too, to add insult to injury.
It is a collaboration of people that makes magic happen. The systems, details
and factors that make up a service work when: the arranger and FD work well
together to realise what a family requires to say goodbye – the details are both
gathered correctly and administered effectively. The allocated celebrant – minister,
civil or humanist – is well chosen and appropriate for the family personality and
dynamics, and they deliver a well considered, personalised service to both family
and FD.
Of course, other people’s collaboration make the process work and ensure
the details are right. There’s the embalmer ensuring the body is presentable;
the printer producing the order of service sheets to the required spec; the florist
ensuring the coffin tribute and any other required flowers are present and correct;
there’s the hired in driver/bearers and vehicles, if required; there’s the horse-drawn
hearse and any other performers (musicians and singers) that may be requested
and required. There’s also the chapel and cemetery attendants and of course the
folk operating the cremators, too. Together, these individuals make a collaborative
team.
When the collaboration is out of sync or details either missed or ignored –
someone is not paying attention – then issues happen. Sadly, it is easy to miss
things unintentionally, vital details that make the experience for a family. It’s also
easy to be lazy and/or ill-prepared and for things to go wrong at the last moment –
being late, not having a donation box ready, not handing out the orders of service,
the wrong music or version, the audio-visual equipment fails, the celebrant doesn’t
arrive, even the date of death is wrong on the paperwork.
I’ve been to one service where the coffin didn’t fit in the grave! It was too long –
the grave size was for a smaller casket, one obviously not available at the time the
little old lady was ready for the funeral. At other services, there were not enough
bearers (four when there should have been at least six) to carry American caskets
with large deceased for burials or other large caskets, and people getting hurt as a
result: webbing-burnt hands, strained backs.
There’s little I’ve written so far in this article that’s new to you, I’m sure. What I’m
seeking today is to remind you of how when every task and detail of a funeral is
organised in a spirit of collaboration then everything runs well and smoothly. The
work gets done easily and you have a good experience of the process, not just the
family. Yes, funerals are business. Yes, you depend on many people to make your
business run well. Are each of these people and services effective? Is each up to
snuff and making your life relatively simple, all things considered? If not, it’s worth
a review. Collaboration starts with you, your team, your choices and goes from
there.
APRIL 2019
The first event saw the
establishment of SAIFInsure
Charity event and golf
competition, the Kee Cup, will be
held at the Trump Turnberry Resort
in Ayrshire, Scotland as it celebrates
its 25th year.
Some 25 years ago, Gary Neill,
funeral director, along with Peter
Bowden and Brian Hart from
SAIFInsure, decided to create a golf
competition, Ryder Cup style, which
saw funeral directors compete with
suppliers to the trade. The event
was also where the funeral director
insurance scheme was established,
which at the time was a new
venture.
The competition was initially
called the SAIFInsure Cup and has
seen many friendships formed,
nicknames evolved and business
deals completed. Over time, the
event has raised £20,000 for
charity.
In 2003, The SAIFInsure Cup was
renamed the Kee Cup, in memory of
the late Gordon Kee, co-founder of
Golden Charter.
The three day event, from
Monday 13 May to Wednesday 15
May 2019, consists of three nights’
accommodation, three rounds of
golf, team kit, three dinners, one
being at a local fish restaurant, and
the final one being a Presentation
Gala Dinner, when the Finemaster
will be a winner.
The competition organisers
are inviting SAIF funeral directors
and trade to suppliers to play at
its upcoming anniversary event.
The Keep Cup is also looking for
sponsorship.
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