Associations of funeral directors
National Association of Funeral Directors
618 Warwick Road, Solihull
West Midlands B91 1AA
Tel: 0845 230 1343
Website: www.nafd.org.uk
Email: info@nafd.org.uk
The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
SAIF Business Centre, 3 Bullfields
Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire CM21 9DB
Tel: 0845 230 6777
Website: www.saif.org.uk
Email: info@saif.org.uk
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Information and advice about funerals
Natural Death Centre
12a Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, London N4 2BT
Telephone: 0871 288 2098
Website: www.naturaldeath.org.uk
Email: ndc@alberyfoundation.orgA national organisation that aims to support those dying at home and their carers. Offers advice and information on funeral arrangements, in particular inexpensive, DIY and green funerals and woodland burial grounds. Publishes The Natural Death Handbook, a comprehensive guide to DIY funerals.
AB Welfare & Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01423 530900 or 01423 868121
Email: ab-welfare-wildlife-trust@burials.freeserve.co.uk
A national charity offering free and sound advice on the law around dying, collecting and transporting bodies, burial and cremation, green funerals, burials in private land and nature reserves. Offers practical help with deaths within a 25 mile radius of Harrogate and can arrange burials in nature reserves near Harrogate.
Funerals UK
Website: www.funeralsuk.com
Provides practical advice on wills and funerals, and information on companies which can provide a wide range of services such as funeral directors, florists, and unusual funeral services or ceremonies, for both conventional and more alternative funerals.
Time to go: alternative funerals – the importance of saying goodbye
This book by Jean Francis provides over 30 detailed examples of actual funeral services and arrangements – some including traditional or religious elements and others more ‘alternative’ – for inspiration. It also provides contact details for practical information related to each example.
For other books on this subject see The Natural Death Handbook.
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For advice on religious or secular services
Christian
You will find churches of all major Christian denominations in your local Yellow Pages directory.
United Synagogue
Adler House, 735 High Road, North Finchley, London N12 0US
Telephone: 020 8343 8989
Website: www.unitedsynagogue.org.uk
Email: info@unitedsynagogue.org.uk
The Muslim Council of Britain
Boardman House, 64 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 1NT
Tel: 020 8432 0585/6
Website: www.mcb.org.uk
Email: admin@mcb.org.uk
The Muslim Council of Britain can provide details of a local contact.
The Buddhist Society
58 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH
Tel: 020 7834 5858
Website: www.thebuddhistsociety.org
Email: info@thebuddhistsociety.org
British Humanist Association
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD
Tel: 020 7079 3580
Website: www.humanism.org.uk
Email: info@humanism.org.uk
A national organisation that can provide an officiant for nonreligious funerals as well as advice on organising the ceremony.
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Bereavement organisations and information
Your GP or Practice Nurse should be able to recommend a local bereavement support group.
CRUSE Bereavement Care
Day By Day Helpline: 0870 167 1677
(9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Website: www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
Email: helpline@crusebereavementcare.org.uk or
info@crusebereavementcare.org.uk
A national charity with a national helpline, it also has branches throughout the UK, offering help to all those who have been bereaved, through counselling, social contact and advice on practical matters. For details of your local branch contact:
England
Cruse Bereavement Care, Cruse House, 126 Sheen Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1UR
Tel: 020 8939 9530
Wales
Cruse Bereavement Care Cymru, Ty Energlyn, Heol Las,
Caerphilly CF83 2WP
Tel: 029 2088 6913
Northern Ireland
Cruse – Northern Ireland Regional Office, Piney Ridge,
Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 8BH
Tel: 028 90 792419
Scotland
CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland, Riverview House, Friarton
Road, Perth PH2 8DF
Tel: 01738 444 178
Email: info@crusescotland.org.uk
The Compassionate Friends
National Office, 53 North Street, Bristol BS3 1EN
National helpline: 0845 123 2304
(open 10am to 4pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm)
Website: www.tcf.org.uk
Email: info@tcf.org.uk or helpline@tcf.org.uk
An international organisation of bereaved parents offering friendship, support and understanding to other bereaved parents. Includes parents of adult children who have died.
Childhood Bereavement Network
8 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7QE
Tel: 020 7843 6309
Website: www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk
Email: cbn@ncb.org.uk
A national organisation aimed at improving the quality and range of bereavement support for children, young people, their families and other caregivers. Offers information about support services.
Marie Curie Hospices offer the following booklets about helping bereaved children:
Talking to children when someone close is very ill (pdf 2MB, new window)
Helping children when someone close dies (pdf 2MB, new window)
Teenage Grief - things you might want to know booklet (pdf 2MB, new window)
Questions children may want to ask when someone close to them has died (pdf 570KB new window)
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Counselling
Your GP or Practice Nurse should be able to recommend a counselling service.
BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
BACP House, Unit 15, St John's Business Park, Lutterworth,
Leicestershire LE17 4HB
Tel: 0870 443 5252
Website: www.bacp.co.uk
Email: bacp@bacp.co.uk
Provides a factsheet about choosing a counsellor and can provide details of local counsellors, including those who have specialised training around bereavement and those who may be able to provide free or low cost counselling or offer concessions.
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Financial and practical advice
Your local Benefits Agency should be able to provide you with information about bereavement benefits and any changes to your benefits or pension. For contact details look for the Benefits Agency display advert in the business section of the phone book.
Your local JobCentre or JobCentre Plus office should be able to provide you with information about bereavement benefits or other benefits. For contact details look for Employment Service in the business section of the phone book or see www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Citizens Advice
Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Trained counsellors will give advice on problems and contact
details for other local groups which will help. Look in the
telephone directory for local offices.
Interpreters
Social Services should be able to advise you on the availability of interpreters.
Help the Aged
Offers a summary sheet Guide to Estate Administration. This is available from the Legacies Department on 020 7239 1965 or on its website www.helptheaged.org.uk – click on advice and support then financial advice then making a will then estate administration (or estate administration in Scotland).
Help the Aged’s freephone advice line SeniorLine can help with advice on benefits and entitlements. Phone 0808 800 6565 (0808 808 7575 in Northern Ireland) 9am-4pm Monday to Friday.
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