The Co-operative Funeralcare

The Co-operative Funeralcare

Type	Business of a consumer co-operative
Industry	Retail
Products	Funeral director
Parent	The Co-operative Group

Co-operative Funeralcare Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Co-operative Group Ltd., trading as The Co-operative Funeralcare.^[1] The Co-operative Funeralcare is the largest funeral director in the United Kingdom with over 850 funeral homes, crematoria and woodland burial grounds; it is a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and is Funeral Planning Authority registered.^[2]

In addition to its funeral home operations, the business also operates: repatriation services, crematoria and cemeteries, woodland burial grounds, memorial masonry manufacturing unit and a coffin factory.

As part of The Co-operative Group, which was established in 1844, Funeralcare is owned and operated by over 5 million members. The Co-operative model is based upon all of its members can have their say in how the business is operated. Some, but not all, regional co-operative societies also operate their own in house funeral services under the national Co-operative Funeralcare brand, an example being The Midcounties Co-operative.^[3]

The Co-operative Funeralcare is a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and operates all of its funeral homes according to a strict NAFD code of practice, which ensures clients’ rights are properly protected. All Funeralcare employees are encouraged to take a BTEC vocational qualification in funeral directing, which The Co-operative Funeralcare helped to set up.

Funeral homes

As funeral directors, The Co-operative Funeralcare arranges all aspects of a funeral service including: transport, flowers, catering, obituaries, order of service, organise the funeral service and liaise with the relevant officiants. The business caters for all cultures, faiths and beliefs and their services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Co-operative Funeralcare also provide a range of Funeral Plans which allow people to plan and prepare for their funeral in advance.

The Co-operative Funeralcare is the only national UK funeral director brand and was the first funeral director to launch a national TV advertising campaign in 2009.

In addition to its ‘Co-operative’ branded funeral homes, Funeralcare also operates a number of private name branded funeral homes. These businesses have been purchased from independent funeral directors and The Co-operative Funeralcare continues to operate them under the family name due to the heritage and respect that the name has built up over the years within the local community.

Crematoria and cemeteries

The Co-operative Funeralcare operates Grenoside crematoria in Sheffield, Craigton Crematoria in Glasgow and Stockport cemetery and crematoria in Greater Manchester.

Woodland Burial Ground

The Co-operative Funeralcare operates Hinton Park and Poole and Wimbourne Woodland Burial Parks in Dorset and Mayfields Remembrance Park in the Wirral, Merseyside.

Memorial masonry

The business sells memorial masonry throughout their funeral home network and manufactures headstones at their manufacturing unit in Glasgow.

Coffin factory

The Co-operative Funeralcare coffin factory is the largest UK coffin factory. The factory produces over 100,000 coffins each year and supplies the funeral home network with its core coffin range.

References

1. ^ Registered in England and Wales under the Companies Act 1985, No. 4067893
2. ^ Registered Providers Funeral Planning Authority (retrieved 21 August 2009)
3. ^ The Co-operative Funeralcare The Midcounties Co-operative (retrieved 21 August 2009)

External links

• The Co-operative Funeralcare