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Women sweep the board at Good Funeral Awards News


WOMEN FROM ACROSS ALL AREAS OF THE FUNERAL WORLD TOOK HOME SPECIAL TROPHIES AT THE GOOD FUNERAL AWARDS 2013. SOPHIE EVANS REPORTS.


UNDERTAKING and funeral arranging are traditionally more male-dominated industries. But this year, at the Good Funeral Awards, it was the women who cleaned up at the glitzy ceremony in Bournemouth. Actress Pam St Clement – who


played Pat Butcher in the BBC 1 soap EastEnders - presented the 15 winners with their miniature wicker ecoffins. Poppy Mardall won the award


for most promising new funeral director, for her feminine touch to funeral services. Poppy, who was featured in the first edition of this magazine, set up business in 2012, covering Greater London, and has done away with black hearses and black coffins and allows families to create a simple service, separating the cremation from the ceremony. Poppy said: “I set up Poppy’s


funerals because I wanted to help Winners


MOST PROMISING NEW FUNERAL DIRECTOR WINNER: Poppy Mardall, of Poppy’s Funerals


EMBALMER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Liz Davis


THE ETERNAL SLUMBER AWARD FOR COFFIN SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Yuli Somme, of Bellacouche.co.uk/ leafshrouds


MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF DEATH WINNER: Jean Francis, from pre- needfuneralplanning.co.uk


CREMATORIUM ATTENDANT OF THE YEAR WINNER: Andy Barlow, from Colwyn Bay crematorium


BEST INTERNET BEREAVEMENT RESOURCE WINNER: Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds for Say Their Name, a video made for The Compassionate Friends


THE BLOSSOM D’AMOUR AWARD FOR FUNERAL FLORISTRY WINNER: Heather Gorringe, of Great British Florist in Herefordshire


12 Farewell Magazine


FUNERAL CELEBRANT OF THE YEAR WINNER: Barbara Millar


CEMETERY OF THE YEAR WINNER: Rotherfield Greys in Monmouth, South Wales


GRAVEDIGGER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Stuart Goodacre from Horncastle, Lincolnshire.


BEST FUNERAL ARRANGER WINNER: Dee Besley at Rosedale Funeral Home


THE BEREAVEMENT REGISTER FUNERAL DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: John Harris at T Cribb & Sons


GREENACRES WOODLAND BURIALS GREEN FUNERAL DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: Rosie Grant, Natural Endings


ASSOCIATION OF GREEN FUNERAL DIRECTORS GREENEST FUNERAL DIRECTOR IN THE ASSOCIATION WINNER: Leverton & Sons


LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER: Paula Rainey Crofts at Heaven on Earth, Bespoke Funeral Services


PHOTO: The Event PHOTO: The Winners!!


people take creative control of their funerals. “I think everyone deserves a


‘good’ funeral. It should be a funeral that reflects the person who has died. It should be a funeral to be proud of.” Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds


were presented with the best internet bereavement resource award for the video they created – Say Their Name – following the death of their son. Josh Edmonds died in 2011 after


a road traffic accident in Vietnam aged just 22. Following his death, his parents made documentaries about Josh’s life to help them and others who have been recently bereaved though the toughest times. The couple won their Ecoffin


for the video Say Their Name, a promotional video they made for The Compassionate Friends – a charity that helps bereaved families.


It was completed in April 2013, and launched at the House of Lords in July. It is the only film available in this country made by and for bereaved parents and siblings. Jimmy and Jane also won the same category last year for their film Beyond Goodbye, which records the life of Josh. Jimmy said: “Josh’s death is


of course why we are here. If Josh had not died we would not have become involved with The Compassionate Friends, we would not have made their video, and we wouldn’t be standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the most caring, compassionate and enlightened people we have met, because in truth these ‘deathies’ really are such. “It truly is a terrible thing, but


in a way it has taken the death of our son for us to really find that degree of self knowledge that allows us to be more accepting


of death and more comfortable talking about it.” For more about Beyond


Goodbye see pages 41-43. Another of the winners


was Jean Francis in the most significant contribution to the understanding of death category. Jean, a One Spirit Interfaith Minister, arranges life and memorial celebrations before they are needed. As a minister and spiritual


counsellor, she meets people whatever their beliefs, creating heart-felt ceremonies. She has worked as a funeral arranger for 10 years and is the author of two books on alternative funerals. Jean said: “Pre-planning your


funeral or that of a loved one allows an openness to life – freeing you to fulfil your dreams while there is still time.” For more about Jean Francis see pages 70 and 71.


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