Burnley Funeral Director nominated for national award

11 October 2018

Burnley based Co-op Funeral Director, Annabel Davies, has been nominated for the national award of Best Bereavement Worker in the UK.

Twenty-seven year old Annabel is one of Co-op’s youngest female funeral directors. After training to be a beauty therapist, Annabel decided she wanted to pursue a career in the funeral industry and joined Co-op Funeralcare as an apprentice at the age of twenty.

The Butterfly Awards, now in its fifth year, recognises professionals working across a broad range of industries for the work they do supporting families through the loss of their baby. The awards also recognise families for the strength and courage they show during a bereavement.

Annabel was nominated by Catherine Bailey and David Bailey, clients of Co-op Funeralcare in Burnley. Sadly, in 2017, Catherine’s daughter was born asleep after difficulties during pregnancy. Annabel was able to provide Catherine and her husband with a cuddle cot, which allowed them to take their daughter home and spend time with her before the funeral.

Catherine, who nominated Annabel, said:

“Annabel's compassion for bereaved parents and dedication to supporting them in every way possible is truly staggering – we were very touched by her thoughtfulness and attention to detail.

“Annabel went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that we got the support that we needed, and the perfect funeral for our precious baby Ella. We will always remember the difference she made to us as a family, during the absolute worst of times and this award would be a well-deserved recognition of the amazing work she has done for us and so many other families.”

Annabel Davies, Co-op Funeral Director, commented:

“I am truly touched and honoured to have been nominated for such a meaningful award. As Funeral Directors, we’re here to support people who are going through a heart breaking time. The Butterfly Awards are an important step to make people aware of the support available for people going through the loss of a child.”

To find out more about Annabel’s nomination and to vote for her as the UK’s best bereavement worker, visit http://finleysfootprints.com/belledavies

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Kenilworth on October 27th.
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Media Contacts:

Claire Newmarch, PR Assistant, Claire.newmarch@coop.co.uk, 07808609944
Sarah Pyatt, Press Officer, sarah.pyatt@coop.co.uk, 07850 002312

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About the Co-op:

The Co-op, which is the UK’s largest co-operative business with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services, has a clear purpose of championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates a total of 3,750 outlets, with more than 70,000 employees and an annual turnover of approximately £11 billion.

Home to the UK’s leading funeral provider, Co-op Funeralcare conducts almost 100,000 funerals annually across over 1,000 funeral homes. Combined with its leading legal services business, the Co-op is also a national provider of later life products and services ranging from funeral plans, through to wills and probate