An Evening with Dr Bill Webster: Supporting Families Beyond the Funeral

An Evening with Dr Bill Webster: Supporting Families Beyond the Funeral

By Ed and Ralph Poole, A.J. Sellman Family Funeral Directors

For us, being a funeral director has never simply been about arranging a funeral.

Of course, helping a family create a meaningful farewell for someone they love is an incredibly important part of what we do. But over six generations of serving families in Cannock and the surrounding communities, we have also learned something else: grief doesn't end when the funeral does.

In many ways, that is when a very different part of the journey begins.

The days and weeks after a funeral can be incredibly difficult. The practical arrangements have been made, family and friends may have returned home, and everyday life starts to move on. Yet for the person who has lost someone, life can feel anything but normal.

Cannock Crematorium

That is one of the reasons we are so pleased to be hosting An Evening with Dr Bill Webster at Cannock Crematorium this September.

An evening for anyone who has experienced loss

On 15th September 2026, from 6pm to 8pm, we will be welcoming Dr Bill Webster for a free evening of support, understanding and reflection.

Bill is a grief counsellor, author and internationally respected speaker who has spent more than 30 years helping people understand and live with loss. He is also someone who understands grief from personal experience.

Bill lost his wife when his two sons were just nine and seven years old. Years later, he experienced the devastating loss of his son. Those experiences have profoundly shaped the way he works with bereaved people.

His understanding of grief therefore comes not only from academic study and many years of professional experience, but from having walked through grief himself.

That is something we find particularly meaningful.

Bill has a wonderful ability to talk about grief in a way that is honest and accessible. He combines his own experiences with professional knowledge, practical guidance, warmth and even humour. His message isn't about telling people how they should grieve. Instead, it is about helping people understand that whatever they may be feeling can be a normal part of their own unique journey.

Why this matters to us

As a family business, we have always believed that caring for families means more than being there on the day of the funeral.

We get to know people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Families trust us with the person they love, and we never take that responsibility lightly.

But once the funeral is over, we know that our role doesn't have to end.

We have partnered with When Life Changes to make bereavement support available to the families we care for, because we want people to know that there is somewhere to turn when the quietness after the funeral becomes difficult