After the funeral

The Co-operative Funeralcare can continue to help and advise you after the funeral.

Acknowledgement notices

An acknowledgement notice placed in a local or national newspaper is an opportunity for the relatives of the deceased to publicly thank people who have given them support and assistance. We will be happy to help you design this notice and place it in the appropriate newspaper.

After a cremation

When arranging the funeral, you may not have been sure of the final resting place for the deceased’s ashes. There are a number of options and choices, some of which are listed below and our Funeral Directors can talk you through all of the possibilities, advise you about regulations and costs, and discuss any memorial you would like.

In addition, to help you consider the options we have also carried out a study into what people do with the ashes of a loved one.

Scattering ashes

This can be carried out in a number of places including:

Some people choose to scatter the ashes, while others place them in a grave marked with a crafted lasting memorial.

• In the grounds of the crematorium
• On a family grave
• In your garden
• At a place with fond memories
• In woodland or on moorland
• At sea
• Abroad

In some cases, permission may be needed from the appropriate authority.

Burying ashes

People choose to bury ashes for a variety of reasons. For instance, families can then visit the place of burial and put up a memorial at the site, while others place the ashes of more than one family member together.

We will be happy to advise on a suitable casket or urn for burial as well as any memorial you may require.

You may be able to bury ashes:

• Within the grounds of the crematorium
• In a churchyard
• In a grave
• In your garden

In each case, we can help by seeking permission from the appropriate authority. When ashes are scattered or buried in a churchyard, cemetery or different crematorium, the appropriate authority may also require the Certificate of Cremation provided by the crematorium.

Keeping the ashes

Some people prefer to keep the ashes at home in a casket or urn designed for that purpose. In some cases this is so that when a spouse or partner dies, the remains of both can be scattered or buried together. Others place a small amount in a piece of jewellery, for example a specially designed locket.

After cremation, we strongly recommend you allow time to consider all the options when deciding what you want to do with the ashes.

For a small charge, some crematoria will hold ashes for a limited time. We will be pleased to hold ashes, without charge, for up to three months following a funeral. However, we regret that we do not have facilities to hold them indefinitely.

Please remember that you don't have to make a decision immediately.  We want you to be able to do what is right for you and your family and our staff will be pleased to discuss all the options with you.

Memorial masonry

Memorial masonry takes many different forms and we offer an extensive range, which can be viewed here.

We can also advise you on local cemetery or crematorium regulations.

Affairs of the deceased

The funeral is one of the first things to be arranged when a loved one passes away. What follows are the legal, tax and administrative matters concerning the deceased’s affairs and estate, many of which need to be attended to immediately.

For full details about how The Co-operative Funeralcare can help, please visit our further support section.

We value your comments 

We aim to provide a service of the highest standards in all our funeral homes and will contact you after the funeral to make sure that you are satisfied with the service we provided.

All information we collect from you when arranging a funeral will be treated with the strictest confidence and held and used in accordance with the Data Protection Act.