Final Resting Place
BURIAL IN A CHURCHYARD
You would need to find out if there is space available, unless you plan for the burial to take place in an existing grave, with a family member.
You normally need to be a parishioner of the Church in question unless you have strong connections with the Church, or other family members are buried there, or of course, if you happen to die in the parish. It will be Vicar of the Church (Incumbent) who will make the final decision.
Graves in a Churchyard are owned by the Church authorities and so it isn’t normally possible to reserve a space for other family members. Do consider that if you would like a memorial on the grave, there are restrictions about what is allowed. For example, you will not be able to have a black shiny memorial.
BURIAL IN A CEMETERY
The majority of cemeteries are owned by the Local Authority and if you live outside of the local authority area, there will be fee implications, normally double the cost that local residents pay. There is more scope for the type of memorial you are able to have.
Many Cemeteries have areas set aside for different religions and some have a separate woodland area.
WOODLAND BURIAL SITE
Woodland burial sites are generally maintained for the benefit of birds, wildlife and trees. As well as privately-owned woodland burial sites, some local authority cemeteries have a woodland section.
Traditional stone memorials would not be allowed in a true ‘woodland’ site, but some have beautifully carved wooden memorials.
There are some woodland burial sites in our area - ask your funeral arranger for details.
All Crematoria have a Chapel where the funeral service can be held. You can choose either a religious or non-religious service.
The Crematorium building is normally surrounded by gardens where cremated remains can be scattered or interred.
Cremated Remains
When making the funeral arrangements, we will discuss with you the various options available for dealing with cremated remains. Choosing a final resting place is not a decision that needs to be made immediately after the funeral has taken place. We do encourage you to do this in your own time. We will collect the remains from the crematorium for you and care for them until you are ready. Once you have reached your decision, we can provide caskets for burials, scatter tubes, jewellery, and attractive paperweights – there are many options. We can also supply bronze plaques or memorials for cremated remains plots. Click here to see a selection of options for cremated remains.
Medical Science
A donated body can be of great value to medical schools and can be used for education, training and research.
Prior to death you will need to contact your local medical school to obtain a consent form. This form must be signed and witnessed and kept with your Will or personal papers. It is important that you notify your family and GP about your wishes to donate your body.
Not all bodies are suitable for donation. A post-mortem examination is one reason why a medical school might decline the offer of a body donation. It is always wise to have an alternative plan in case your body is not accepted. Useful information on body donation can be found on the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) website -https://www.hta.gov.uk/donating-your-body
Organ and Tissue Donation
If you wish to donate your organs it is wise to indicate your wish by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register and carrying a donor card.
However, as well as donating organs, you can also donate your tissues thus helping improve the lives of others. There are many kinds of tissues that can be donated after death, for example, skin, bone, heart valves and eyes. For more information on donating organs and tissues, see: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-donation/what-is-tissue-donation/