The Joy of Death Festival 2012 will pilot the first Good Funeral Guide Awards Ceremony to recognise outstanding service to the bereaved.
The awards will be made in the following categories:
Most Promising New Funeral Director
Embalmer of the Year
The Eternal Slumber Award for Coffin Supplier of the Year
Most Significant Contribution to the Understanding of Death in the Media
(TV, Film, Newspaper, Magazine or Online)
Crematorium Attendant of the Year
Best Internet Bereavement Resource
The Blossom d’Amour Award For Funeral Floristry
Funeral Celebrant of the Year
Cemetery of the Year Award
Gravedigger of the Year
Funeral Director of the Year
Best Alternative to a Hearse
Book of the Year
(published after 1 May 2011)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anyone can nominate a person for the award.The awards ceremony will be on the evening of Friday 7 September 2012 at a prestigious hotel in Bournemouth. It will be hosted by Charles Cowling, founder of theGood Funeral Guide. The winners will receive a small trophy and a certificate in recognition of their achievement.
Said, organiser, Brian Jenner: “The funeral industry has many characters and styles, we want to recognise the diversity of the industry and allow the public to have some say in what they think is good. We thought we’d trial this format in 2012 to see if it’s an effective way to acknowledge outstanding service to the bereaved.
“We’ve already had some nominations. Barry Albin-Dyer and Ken West (father of natural burial) have been mentioned for their lifetime contributions. In the alternative hearse category, we’ve had a mention for Paul Sinclair, the motorcycle hearse rider, and Clare Brooks and Michelle Orton, who run the Volkswagen campervan hearse service.”
Anyone wishing to nominate should send an email with a written recommendation (no more than 100 words) to say why they think the company or individual is worthy of the award.
Please include an address and telephone number. Your citation may be quoted at the award’s ceremony on Friday 7 September 2012.
Email your entry to: goodfuneralawards@joyofdeath.co.uk by Monday 6 August 2012.
ED’S NOTE: Do it, good people, please. We need your nominations. These awards will be the best possible antidote to all the colonoscopic stuff about Funeralworld coming out of the media these days – stuff like the Which? survey (here) and Channel 4’s Dispatches recent exposé of Co-operative Funeralcare.
I would like to nominate Colourful Coffins for their sensitive, inspired and timely response to every request we have made. The latest, a “Sonic the Hedgehog” coffin,was absolutely stunning. I love the way they are willing and able to get design owners to agree to the use of their characters to create coffins that have such personal meaning to our families.
Am I alone in thinking that I hope the occupant of that coffin isn’t going anywhere in any sort of Co-op transport ?
Dear Clive
Is there more detail of the event eg location and times? I would like to share with my colleagues at the One Spirit Interfaith Foundation.
Also I would love to attend the event.
With heartfelt best wishes, Noel
Charles, so sorry I meant Charles, more speed and less haste.
Hi Noel
Full details on the Joy of Death website: http://www.joyofdeath.co.uk/tickets/