New Approach Well Received Across Communities
As an experienced Funeral Director and Manager in the Sunderland area for many years, Jayne Prior has been surprised by the overwhelming positive response to her new approach which puts families and the bereaved at the heart of funeral arrangements.
In November 2019, recognising that funerals were changing and that there was a growing diversity of expectations, Jayne opened her new Funeral Home on Chester Road, Sunderland. From the outset, Jayne identified the need to understand individual needs and circumstances in designing a service right for them, “I believe that families should be able to have a funeral tailored to their requirements and their budget rather than having to choose from a set menu of services.”
In reflecting on the first three months Jayne said, “I have been overwhelmed by the response from the community wishing me well in this venture and it has been particularly touching that families have followed me from my previous role.”
Already known for her professionalism, dignity and warm personality, how hard had it been to establish her identity? “When you lead a large firm for so long you build a brand and, whilst I was nervous, I felt it was my time to step out of the shadows. If you invest to help families at such difficult times, you build a strong bond and I am grateful that families have entrusted me again or recommended me to other families.”
Indeed Jayne went on to describe how her reputation and new direction was reaching wider communities. “In three months we have undertaken funerals across the North East Region from Newcastle to Teesside as well and gained the trust of diverse backgrounds such as the Sikh communities of both Sunderland and Newcastle. I am grateful to those families who have also taken the time to send kind comments and endorse our service.”
The changing face of funerals now includes direct cremations which does not include a service attended by the family. “We have conducted a number of services and have worked alongside families for these. We have however found that whilst a simple process may fit the needs and expectations of the departed and has a lower financial burden on families ,the experience has not met the expectations of attending families and friends”
Jayne went on to say she was really keen to build partnerships to offer families access to services such as financial planning and will writing as well as offering funeral plans and finance options to ease the financial burden
“Our Funeral Plans clearly set out all of the costs and can spread the cost for families but they also allow families to discuss the detail of funeral arrangements and lay down what they actually want for themselves.”
Finally Jayne looked to the future. “I am really pleased with the trust families have placed in us so far and I hope that we can quickly build on that trust and our reputation for quality and reliability of service.”