Carrying out a burial yourself

It is often assumed that funerals can only be completed by using a funeral director. Although a funeral director will be invited to organise the majority of funerals, some people prefer to make the arrangements themselves.

As we have adopted the Charter for the Bereaved, we are committed to helping you arrange a funeral of your choice. We can provide you with a copy of the charter if you contact the cemetery office, or you can read it at the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) website. You can also read and download the Funeral Directive, and the a Living Will.

If you would like to arrange a burial yourself, this will provide you with some guidance. We recognise that everyone is an individual, and we welcome you to come and discuss your personal requirements with us. Please make an appointment with the cemetery office to ensure that someone is available to meet you at a specific time.

You may wish to visit the page showing licenced religious buildings within the borough. The page specifies that these are licenced to hold marriage ceremonies but you can contact them to see if any are suitable to hold a funeral service.

Many people would like to ensure that the whole funeral service is carried out exactly to their wishes, but may not have close family to whom they can entrust this very important task. The Natural Death Centre produce a Death Plan Leaflet, and an Advance Funeral Wishes document which may be of interest, and can be obtained, for a small fee, from the Natural Death Centre or the contact the Cemeteries Team for more information.