Frequently Asked Questions
When someone passes away
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No matter what the day or time if someone dies at home, the first thing to do is to call their GP, the district nurse or the NHS helpline 111. A certified person will then verify their death. You can then contact us to collect your loved one.
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All our facilities for caring for your loved one are at 70 Church Street Cannock WS11 1DH
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The bereavement team at the hospital will liaise with you about registering the death. After contacting ourselves, we will call the hospital to order cremation papers if this is applicable. Once you have registered the death and the relevant paperwork is complete we will then arrange, with the hospital, to bring your loved one into our care.
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If your loved one has died at a hospital or their death has been referred to the Coroner we will arrange to bring them into our care once their death has been registered (or there is Coroner’s clearance) and the necessary paperwork is complete. If someone has died at a private address we will do all we can to bring them into our care straight away however, assistance from a more local funeral director might be necessary to arrange the paperwork for cremation.
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Before the Funeral
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A chapel of rest is a private and quiet room at all our premises for you to spend time with your loved one. The person is usually in their coffin and dressed in their own clothes or a shroud.
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Normally we would advise for you to see your loved one after their death has been registered, you have decided whether they are to wear their own clothes or a shroud and the funeral has been arranged. However, you can come to the Chapel of Rest beforehand. Please call us to discuss this.
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Yes. However, due to cremation regulations, no metal, battery operated or flammable items can be put with them.
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Yes, of course.
The Funeral
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A funeral is a ritual, to honour someone, taken by the bereaved to help them bereave by paying their final respects to the deceased.
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No there are other options such as direct cremation or burial.
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A memorial service is when there is a service when the deceased is not present whereas at a funeral the deceased is present in their coffin.
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In the UK almost three-quarters of funerals involve cremation. Cremation tends to be cheaper than a burial overall through there being less costs for example, a headstone.
What to choose depends on your personal preference or the wishes of your loved one.
From a sustainability perspective cremation uses more energy; burial uses more land.
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A funeral can only take place once a death has been registered, the necessary paperwork is complete and a convenient time can be coordinated with family and the chosen church, crematorium or cemetery. On average a funeral can be arranged within 10-14 days of someone passing away. The involvement of the Coroner can delay this.
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Yes it does. You can visit any crematorium to discuss this.
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If people have a link to a church through being married there or a family connection that church can be used. Normally though the church that you use depends on whether or not you live in the parish.
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The majority of funerals are now cremations and as a result a lot of services take place at the crematorium. We have held funeral services at the graveside and Natural Burial Grounds usually have a shelter or indoor space.
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A religious service is taken by a person of the cloth who will stipulate a divine theme. Our non-conformist services are taken by Ralph or Edward Poole who will incorporate as much or as little religion as you wish.
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A church service is normally between 20-60 minutes. The allowed service time at our local crematoria is:
Stafford – 30 Minutes
Cannock – 15, 45 or 60 Minutes
Mercia Forest – 60 Minutes
Bushbury- 45 Minutes
Telford – 60 Minutes
Streetly – 45 Minutes
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The bearers are the people who carry the coffin either on their shoulders or at arms-length on a bier. We can provide these or family and friends can be bearers too.
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After the Funeral
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We will bring your loved one’s cremated remains into our care. We will then wait to be contacted by you to either arrange for them to be interred or for you to collect them. If you collect them you can choose to have them in the container that the crematorium provided or pay for a scatter tube, urn or casket. You can also arrange to collect the cremated remains yourself from the crematorium.
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We can advise you on this and arrange for new stone to be fitted or for an existing stone to have an additional inscription.
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There are two types of funeral costs our fees and the disbursements. Disbursements are the fees that need to be paid to third parties such as doctors, crematoria, cemeteries, celebrants, floral tributes or printer’s fees.