The rising cost of funerals

Dear Departed

Grieving loved ones struggle as cost of dying soars to £7.6k

THOUSANDS of grieving relatives are struggling to pay for funerals as costs soar to more than £7,000.

Over 100,000 people now face major problems affording a loved one’s burial or cremation, says a new survey.

Half of those quizzed were staggered by the costs and some had to borrow money or sell possessions to pay for the send offs. In the past seven years the price of dying has rocketed 61%.

Relatives can expect to pay £2,720 for a cremation or £3,462 for a burial.

Administration fees, including solicitors, banks and will writers, are £2,292 and other extras, such as catering, flowers and venue hire, cost a further £1,864.

This takes the overall bill for a burial to £7,618 and £6,876 for a cremation.

Over a third of funeral directors blame the rises on escalating fuel prices and hire crematoria charges, imposed by councils hit by Government budget cuts.

The report by Sun Life Direct also said a lack of burial plots is driving up prices.

It found many leave responsibility for their funeral to family and friends.

The above article first appeared in The Daily Mirror 14/09/2011

Planning for a funeral

None of us enjoy thinking about our own demise, but neither do we want to leave our families a burden of cost and organisation at a time when they will need peace to grieve.

Taking a decision to plan for your funeral now and providing for its costs in advance allows you to get on with living your life to the full, without having to worry about the future.

We believe that for many people a prepaid funeral plan is the best option in order to be able to guarantee that your funeral expenses will be met and your wishes adhered to.

After more than 20 years of operation, Golden Charter is the leading provider of funeral plans to independent funeral directors in the UK.

To request a brochure please contact us.

A nail in the coffin of decency

A Crematorium near Exeter is opening a new facility this week which will enable mourners to watch funerals live over the internet.

This is a boon for housebound relatives but there is the danger that soon we won’t bother turning up to pay our respects, but just log on, send an email and get on with our busy lives?

Funerals may be inconvenient but they’re one of the few occasions when you can give real support to the family of the deceased.

The idea of online funerals is drawing dangerously close?

Is there an inexpensive way of honouring the memory of my loved one?

This is a question we are asked on numerous occasions. It is sometimes difficult to know how to honour the memory of a loved one following a cremation. We always advise bereaved families not to make any decisions regarding a loved one's ashes until sometime after the funeral. What you may think appropriate at the the sad time of a funeral may not be the ideal.

At Timeless Funeral Services we are conscious of the impact our business has on the environment, emissions from our vehicles, products we use and the general waste. To offset any detrimental affect on the environment, we plant a tree in the Caledonian Forest in Scotland and dedicate each planting in the memory of the loved one whose funeral has taken place. This is an in expensive way of contributing to the environment whilst honouring the memory of a loved one.

You may wish to think about planting a tree or dedicating a Grove to the memory of your loved one.  Trees for Life is an award-winning charity working to help restore the Caledonian Forest, which formerly covered a large part of the Scottish Highlands. Just 1% of the original forest survives today, as isolated stands of mostly old trees. Since 1989 we’ve been helping to bring this forest back from the brink, both through natural regeneration and by planting trees. Our long term vision is to restore the forest, and all its constituent species, to a 600 square mile area west of Inverness, including our 10,000 acre Dunndreggan Estate.

A grove of trees is a lasting memorial. You can set up a grove to allow friends and family to plant a number of trees for the same person.

Should you wish to find out more, visit www.treesforlife.org.uk.

I hope you found the above information informative. However please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss anything regarding a long lasting tribute to a loved one.

<p align=center><a href="http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/"> <img border=0 width=144 height=75 alt="Trees for Life" src="http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/images/logo_support3.jpg"> </a></p>

Walter Hope 03 August 1923 - 14 March 2011

It is with great regret that we announce the death of a dear Uncle of a member of our staff.

Many will remember Walter as a chorister for St. Peter’s Church, Manchester Road, Bury. He sang as a member of the choir for 30 years. More recently he sang with the Radcliffe Male Voice Choir who will be performing at his funeral service on Thursday 24th March, 2011 at 12.45pm.

The family have asked for family flowers only with donations in lieu of flowers to The British Stroke Association. If you wish to forward a donation to ourselves to be sent to The Stroke Association please click on the following link to donate by credit/debit card ensuring you leave your name in the message block.

Donations in Memory please click Walter hope .

The announcement placed in the Bury Times is replicated below:

Walter Hope Sadly passed away on Monday 14th March 2011 with his loving Daughter by his side. Walter, 87 Husband of the late Marion, beloved Father to Kathryn, Father in law of Ian and adored Grandad of Adam, Paul and Helen. A loving Brother in law to Edna, dear Uncle to Joan, Christina, John and Great Uncle to Jenny, Lesley, Lorraine and Paul. You were a lovely, quiet, gentle, caring and thoughtful man. You will be in our hearts and thoughts forever. Rest in peace Dad. Grandad, you'll always be in our hearts. Hope you have found your peace. Love always Adam, Paul and Helen. Family flowers only please but donations welcome to The Stoke Association. Funeral Service to take place at St. Peter's Parish Church, St. Peter's Road, Bury on Thursday 24th March, 2011 at 12.45pm to be followed by the committal at East Lancashire Crematorium (Radcliffe) at 2.00pm All enquiries to Timeless Funeral Services, 265 - 267 Dumers Lane, Radcliffe. Tel 0161 959 0108

What to do when someone dies?

Dealing with the aftermath of a death is never easy, particularly if the deceased is a relative or close friend.

If you are faced with this situation and have to take on the arrangements then there are a number of essential steps that you need to take and some that will make the process easier for you.

Here we’ll try to clarify the process for you.

You should be aware that the processes and laws can be slightly different in different parts of the UK. In particular the law in Scotland is different from the law in England and Wales.

Notifying the Authorities

Informing the familly GP

The family doctor is the most likely person to provide and sign a death certificate, which will be necessary in order to register the death. They may also be able to provide guidance on the later procedures.

Register the Death at a Register Office

This must be done within five days in England and Wales and within eight days in Scotland.
You will require as much as possible of the following documentation or information:

• Death certificate
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• NHS Medical Card
• The deceased's full name and any previous names used
• Their last address
• Their occupation
• The details of a surviving spouse or civil partner
• Whether they were receiving any state benefits

Assuming there is no post-mortem being held, the register office will supply you with a Certificate for Burial or Cremation and a Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8), along with advice leaflets containing further information. You may require additinal copies of the death certificate and it is usually cheaper to obtain these at the time of registration.

Reading the Will

Contact the Deceased's Solicitor

If there is a Will it may include instructions for funeral arrangements which will need to be followed, or preferred wishes which, while not mandatory, you will want to take account of. It should also contain information on the executor(s) who will administer the conduct of the estate.

Arranging the Funeral

This can only be arranged once the death certificate has been issued.
If there has been no provision made for a funeral then one must be arranged. This can be either burial or cremation. There are a number of options available including a council funeral, a community funeral, or through the services of a professional funeral director.
There will be various decisions to be made concerning aspects such as:

• Where the body should rest before the funeral
• Where the funeral should be held
• When the funeral should be held
• What type of service (religious or otherwise)
• Who will conduct the funeral and who will take part in it
• What costs are appropriate
• Sending of invitations
• Notices in newspapers
• Whether to have flowers or instead request that mourners donate money to a charity
• Where to donate any flowers following the funeral
• Contacting anyone who needs to know of the death

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time for further in formation by commenting or contact us via telephone or email.

Biker Dad funeral

The family of the late David Brown have kindly allowed us to publish this video in David's memory.

Welcome to Timeless Funeral Services

About Us

At Timeless Funeral Services, we recognise that the funeral service is a calling with great responsibilities, demanding the highest professional standards, with all whom we are called to serve. This trust and confidence makes us both proud and humble. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be contacted at any time. Our privately owned, Funeral Directors in Radcliffe offer a complete personal, caring and professional service in your time of need.

We have published this  blog to give you the opportunity to ask questions that you may want to ask a funeral director direct.