Funeral Service Times August 2017 July 2019 | Page 3

3 Editor’s letter Established 2006 Managing editor Michael Northcott [email protected] Online Editor Shekina Tuahene [email protected] Editorial assistant Oliver Rudgewick [email protected] Production Assistant [email protected] Sales Patrick Durham-Matthews [email protected] Accounts [email protected] Subscriptions [email protected] Contributing writers: Benn Abdy-Collins, Veronika Sophia Robinson, Briony Rawle, Paul Allcock, Howard Pickard Funeral Service Times is published monthly by: Mulberry Publications Ltd. London Office: Mulberry Publications Ltd. 154-160 Fleet Street London EC4A 2DQ Tel: [phone] www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk ISSN 2046-7273 The editor and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any statement that they express in this publication. The opinion of the contributors may not necessarily be the opinion of the publishers. Articles are considered for publication on the basis that they are the author’s original work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the permission of the publishers. permission of the publishers. L ast month, the trade finally saw a resolution to the investigation conducted by the Treasury into the pre- paid funeral plan market and its practices a year after it launched. It is now known that the funeral plan market will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, meaning businesses in this sector will have explicit guidelines to adhere to and consequences will likely be more severe than what has already been seen. Being such a difficult time in a client’s life, the funeral trade constantly works to assure that this runs smoothly and with minimal nuisance, so the knowledge that there will be an external regulator is welcome news to many in the trade as it may provide confidence that their customers are at less of a risk of coming across unscrupulous firms. In this issue Howard Pickard, the managing director of the Resomation company, speaks about the progress taking place with regards to bringing water cremation to the UK. Read what he has to say on page 17. Benn Abdy-Collins continues with the second part of his interviews with funeral directors and their views on the relationship between love and conducting a funeral. This month he speaks to Lucy Coulbert of The Individual Funeral Company on page 11. Finally, our features on outdoor memorials and memorial gifts showcase some of the companies in the trade which will help you to deliver on your clients’ needs. Find out more about the products available on pages 25 and 26. I hope you enjoy this issue. Shekina Shekina Tuahene Online Editor, Funeral Service Times [email protected] www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk JULY 2019