The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Natural burial ground is Alma’s green vision
ANGUS: Former IT director Alma Kettles runs green resting place CairnBrae on her family farm
Q Why did you start in business?
A Our family has farmed the land in this area for four generations and the farm was part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme for 16 years. Protecting the environment and contributing to the biodiversity of the land is at the heart of everything we do.
Creating CairnBrae Natural Burial Ground for the Dundee and Angus community is simply another extension of this commitment. I grew up on the farm and my concern for the environment, as well as wanting to offer the bereaved a greater choice of burial that is more affordable, formed the foundation of this project. I also wanted to offer families the option of purchasing a plot in advance, as some traditional local authority cemeteries are filling up and the option of purchasing plots in advance is no longer permitted. Some choose a natural burial as they see it as their parting gesture to the environment where their remains are able to rekindle life as a forest or a tree. At CairnBrae, each family can plant a tree over the grave.
Q How did you get to where you are?
A We have worked hard to transform our agricultural field in to a beautiful and tranquil resting place using recycled materials at every opportunity. As an example, the 10 tonnes of stone used to make the memorial cairn and entrance wall were gathered from the farm fields last year.
Q Who has helped you along the way?
A My family, friends and Business Gateway. I attended both the Start Up for New Businesses and the Finance for Business workshops they run and found them extremely helpful.
I have never run my own business before and the questions I had were answered during the course.
The take home notes from both courses also proved to be very useful.
Q Your biggest mistake?
A It’s less a mistake and more of a lack of understanding on my part of how many hats I would need to wear on a day-to-day basis. I can be meeting with bereaved families and funeral directors, designing marketing material, mowing grass paths and preparing for funerals all in the same day.
Q Your greatest achievement?
A We are really pleased with how we have transformed a ploughed field in to a beautiful resting place. It is also extremely satisfying to see how much wildlife the burial ground is attracting.
Q Hopes for the future?
A As memorial trees are planted over each grave, the burial ground will develop in to a tranquil woodland area for bereaved families to seek comfort in. I am fully committed to achieving this while supporting families during what is typically a very traumatic time.
Q Do you want to recruit in the future?
A Because we are a family business and are also investing in the relevant machinery and equipment, it means it is unlikely we’ll recruit in the near future.
Q What is the hardest thing about running your own business?
A Opening a burial ground is complex and adherence to the various planning and SEPA regulations is crucial. Being fastidious in my planning and having the land to fulfil my vision has meant things have gone smoothly.
I have a passion for horticulture, experience supporting bereaved families and feel strongly about protecting the environment so, by combining all three, running the business has been more enjoyable than hard.