crematorium - Scattering Ashes

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Why do so many Local Authority Crematoria look so down at heal? & Is there a solution?

Public Private Partnership in the Funeral world – An Oxymoron? Why do so many crematoria look so down at heal? In many local authorities there has been a complete lack of investment in their crematoria. As a consequence some families are not getting quality or good value funerals plus there is higher air pollution with […]

I don’t want my funeral at a Crematoria or Church what can I do?

We are asked the following on a very frequent basis: “What can I do if I don’t want my funeral at a crematoria?” or “I am not religious but the crematoria seems so depressing what can I do?” They all follow the same theme – The church seems fitting but I/they were not religious The […]

Covid-19 & crematoria – should councils be banning families from funerals?

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Covid-19 Dear Councils Please could you reconsider your stance on Cremations during Covid-19 outbreak. A number of councils have banned mourners from attending the cremation in order to protect their staff. I want to make it absolutely clear how I feel about this – this is wrong: plain and simple Here are the reasons why […]

New Survey – Return of Ashes from the Crematorium

Crematorium hand over 400k crematoriums in the UK every year, the average price of a price of a cremation is £850 It don’t need a Nobel prize winning mathaniciacan to work out this is a sizable industry. It is a caring industry too, over the past few years we have been polling the public to […]

Does your family need more time at the Crematorium?

Does your family need more time at the Crematorium? Does your family need more time at the Crematorium? A rushed service is not a good experience for anyone. In fact, our research shows, when you feel you have not had enough time to say goodbye – it can upset, enrage, distress even traumatize someone. BUT, […]

Mortonhall Crematorium – Tough Talking their way back into the people’s hearts?

Mortonhall Crematorium Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh has had more than its fair share on controversy. In 2013 it was the centre of the baby ashes scandal. They had been disposing of premature baby ashes and telling parents there weren’t any ashes to collect. This caused a huge furore and quite rightly so! (see our previous […]

Is the crematorium the right place to hold a funeral?

Over recent year there has been an increasing trend to hold the entire funeral at the crematorium. Recent figures suggest that this is around 80% of families do this. This is possibly due to several factors. Increased secularisation, the church was always the main place for a funeral and then often it would be close […]

Direct Cremation is not for everyone, but it is for some

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Direct cremation, never heard of it? Well it is what David Bowie did when he died. No family, no crematoria visit, no fuss. He then had his ashes scattered in Bali (Indonesia). Direct cremation is not a new phenomenon but in its current form it is different enough to be making a stir. Depending on […]

What do you think of Crematoria – Our New Survey

Last year we published a survey on what people thought of Crematoria – you can find a summary of part 1 here. The survey showed some interesting results and left some unanswered questions. So we are continuing to delve into this subject to find out what you think, in order to make the whole thing […]

Family traumatised by Councils neglect of memorial rose garden

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A slightly different blog this week we have been contacted by a lady who is struggling to communicate with Trafford Council about the rose garden where her daughters ashes rest, this is what she said: In 1997 my daughter Jeannine died at the age of 30 after a very short illness so we were devastated […]

Are councils refusing to hand over ashes in the cases of ‘pauper funerals’?

Right, a controversial subject. Let’s us attempt to set out the stall in a nonpartisan fashion. A Pauper Funeral is an old-fashioned/emotive term for funerals where the local authority are required to step in as the family are either unwilling or unable to pay for the funeral. Technically these are known as public health funerals […]

Training Course: Scattering or Interring of Cremated Remains

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Training Course: Scattering or Interring of Cremated Remains Training Course. There is a growing trend for funerals to focus on the ashes element of the ceremony which is a very positive development. However, often those doing the scattering will have received little or no formal training. A small investment in staff training will have two […]

Changes to Cremation Regulations in England and Wales will impact ashes

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Amendments to the cremation regulations are on their way they come into force on the 6th April 2018. They apply to cremations within England and Wales. How have they changed and what will it mean, there have been two big changes: There will be a new application forms which will include a section where the […]

Myth busting at Tesside Crematoria

First and foremost I must apologise for plagiarism, not something I tend to do, but this really couldn’t be improved upon. The main reason I reproduce like this on occasion is so that good stuff like this does not get lost in the morass that is the web. So I hope I can be forgiven […]

Did you feel you had long enough for your ceremony at the crematorium?

We asked the public whether they had long enough for their ceremony at the crematorium for their service? Yes the length of time was right – 56.25% Just a about enough time – 16.25% It was slightly rushed – […]

What do the public think of Crematoria – Part 1

We are running an on-going survey on the website asking members of the public what they think of crematoria. We understand that those offering cremation services are in a difficult position when wanting feedback on what they provide – they can hardly stand outside with a clipboard. Over three posts we will shedding light on some […]

Walk through a British Crematorium: a lovely authentic video

The video below is really nice walk through a crematorium here in the UK, the video appeared in article written for the Plymouth Herald in Devon and features Karen Jennings, the council’s bereavement service manager. The video is under five minutes and what I loved about it is that it isn’t some super polished corporate […]

Do they cremate multiple bodies at once?

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Do they cremate multiple bodies at once? No they don’t. In the UK the Code insists that each cremation is carried out separately. Furthermore the aperture (opening/door) of cremator in which the coffins are place is only big enough to accept one coffin. There are certain exceptions, specifically in certain where the cases of mother […]

Somerset Crematorium tricks relatives over a scattering – then hold their hands up

This story reported in Somerset Live is interesting first as you don’t get to hear of many wrong-doings here in the UK. Whether that is because produces are tight or there is a code of silence one can’t say but knowing a little of what goes on I am inclined to believe the former. Anyway staff […]

Crematoria: good or bad – we want your opinion please

When we die, most people in the UK are cremated as opposed to buried. In fact over three-quarters of us. Elsewhere places such as the US, Canada and Australia the percentage is over 50 and rising. Cost is given as a reason for the increased numbers. However, cremation whilst still less expensive is far from […]

Cremation in Paradise – Cayman Islands to open its first crematoria

The Cayman Islands are a three-island group set within the Caribbean sea, they are a small British Overseas Territory that sounds so very exotic. The group of island is fairly small (102 square miles) and tends rightly or wrongly to be one of those places associated with offshore money. Well, the people of the islands have a […]

Winner of the Crematoria of the Year 2016

Scattering Ashes was the proud sponsor of the Crematoria of the Year at the Good Funeral Awards 2016, we are keen to encourage improve the customer experience of this sector, and recognise this often chastised part of the industry. There were six crematoria who made the long-list at the 2016 Good Funeral Awards. Thornhill Crematorium, […]

Cremation – what you get and what it costs

The average cost of cremation currently is just below the £700 mark. The cost of the fuel for the cremation is around £30. What! I hear you cry that is outrageous! Well yes, but it is not quite as simple as that. The question is are we being ripped off? Or are we getting value for money? […]

Variation in cremation cost across the UK 2016

Every year crematoria are getting more expensive and there is now a big difference between the top and the bottom. From the lowest price is from a crematoria run by the a local authority – Belfast City council, where the cost is £364 the highest is a private crematoria run by the funeral giant Dignity at Beckenham in Greater […]

A problem with personal memorialisation in Nottingham Crematoria’s communal woodland

The needs of the individual will often come into conflict with the needs many, and here is a case in point. Ms Kara Thrall scattered the ashes of her mother and grandmother in the same spot in Nottingham’s Wilford Hill Crematorium in the communal woodland. On the 3rd anniversary of her death Ms Thrall visited […]

The media step in to help a school pupil get access to his mum’s ashes

The Eastern Daily Press (the daily paper covering Norfolk) and Evening News have waded in to help a young man get access to mother’s ashes. Caleb Manship was left orphaned in February 2016 Caleb who is still at school age was hoping to scatter her ashes at their favourite park in Blakeney, Norfolk. But there […]

Do they burn the coffin when you get cremated

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Do they burn the coffin when you get cremated? The question, do coffins get cremated with the body is a frequently asked. To those in the funeral industry this often met with a surprised or bemused look, the answer is: yes, of course. However the fact the question is asked on such a frequent basis […]

The case of the Cremation without the family knowing

This is the sad case of Mr Fitzpatrick who passed way in August. He had suffered depression for some time and it is believed he committed suicide. At the time he was living on his own, his children had left home and he was estranged from his partner, with whom we was still on good […]

Money raised for charities from metal reclaimed from a crematoria to top £2m

Now this is good news. The money raised for charities from the recycled metals the arise from cremation is set to reach £2m. When a body is cremated the non-combustible parts are left behind: the bones (the ashes) and any metal which arises. This metal was historically just the ironwork used to make […]

Why is so difficult to cremate someone in Greece?

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In 2006 the Greek parliament laid a law allowing cremation, yet to date no one has been cremated. Greece suffers a problem, like many countries, their urban cemeteries are overcrowded, it is not uncommon for a body to be exhumed moved after three year to make space for someone else. So one might think that […]

A lady digs up her rose bush from the garden of remembrance

(c) Conwy Daily Post The garden of remembrance at a crematoria was once a popular choice to place the ashes of a loved one whilst it is becoming less so, there are still many who use the facility it would appear mainly for practical and connection reasons. The usually gardens are first rate, however a […]

The Orgins of the Ashes cricket contest – a protest for cremation

As one of the world greatest sporting contest draws to a close and England retain the precious little trophy, spare a thought for where this tiddler came from and what was the symbolism. The story starts in 1882, at the Oval cricket ground in London, when England cricketers managed to clutch defeat from the jaws of […]

crematoria getting rid of unwanted ashes

The Statutory Duty of English and Welsh Cremation Authorities in relation to the Disposal of Ashes

This is a direct lift from the appropriate legislation including instrument number and revoked legislation, it is actually quite clear: (c) HM Government The Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 SI No. 2841 Came into force – 1st January 2009 PART 6 Disposal of ashes 30.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), after a cremation the cremation authority must give […]

New law set to allow cremation in Lagos State, Nigeria

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Now this doesn’t sound all that controversial right? I mean they have crematoria in the Gulf States, so it is no big deal right? Wrong. The following is based on a an article on the All Africa website I have provided a link at the bottom. In Nigeria, Lagos State will be the first […]

How should Cremation Authorities pack and dispatch ashes after cremation

What should Crematoria do and what should you expect? The following is based on a Best practise briefing produced by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (UK), I have provided a link at the bottom to the actual guidance. In essence their primary responsibility is to ensure you receive the ashes safely and in […]

Keeping ashes in a Columbarium: what are they, why use them and what do they cost.

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A columbarium is a wall with cavities designed to hold cremation urns or cinerary urns. Have look at the picture above, they are usually made of stone such as granite and each niche can hold a number of cremation urns (up to about 4). The niche faceplate usually has an inscription engraved upon it. […]

The cost of cremation in the UK

We have had a look at the Cremation Society of Great Britain figures for the cost of cremation in the United Kingdom, are the headlines. Countries in the UK in order of cost: Most expensive England; Scotland; Wales with the least expensive being Northern Ireland. In England there is unsurprisingly a rough north south divide […]

What happened to the ashes of antenatal or neonatal deaths in Scotland

Following the Mortonhall baby scandal, The Herald Scotland looked into the practice of authorities, the results have been set out below, along with a link to the original article. Accurate at the time of publishing (Mar 2013) Authority / Crematoria Comment and or policy Glasgow City Council / “It was often not possible to collect […]

Austerity measures impacting grieving families: Scottish crematoria shutting on a Saturday and Sunday

The article below from the Perthshire Advertiser whilst seemingly local, throws up some very interesting questions around bereavement services, their cost and availability. Perth Council have decided to retain ownership of their crematoria. A move welcomed by local funeral directors on the grounds that it will keep costs down for families. However, they have chosen […]

What happens to all the metal recovered from a cremated ashes?

Well I think this is a good news story, the answer is it is recovered and recycled. In fact it raises a heck of a lot of money for charity! It turns out that Institute of Cemetery and Crematoria Management have got about 130 crematoria signed up to a scheme which recovers metal from […]

A mother fears about crematorium land being sold off

A grieving mother who lost her quadruplets, they died after a premature birth, choose to have the ashes scattered at Bretby Crematorium, she has since discovered that the site may be sold off to a private company – Midlands Co-op Mrs Morley from the town of Burton-upon-Trent in the East Midlands has spoken out […]