Good Funeral Awards 2013 – the winners and the runners up

Charles 20 Comments
Charles

Most Promising New Funeral Director

Winner: Poppy Mardall

Runner-up: Stacey Bentley

Embalmer of the Year

Winner: Liz Davis

Runner-up: Angie Maclachlan.

The Eternal Slumber Award for Coffin Supplier of the Year

Winner: Yuli Somme

Runner-up: Roger Fowle.

Most Significant Contribution to the Understanding of Death

 Winner: Jean Francis

Runner-up: Pia Interlandi

Crematorium Attendant of the Year

Winner: Andy Barlow, Colwyn Bay crematorium.

Runner-up: Mandy Ryan and Martin McEvilly, Redditch crematorium

Best Internet Bereavement Resource

Winner: Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds for Say Their Name, a video made for the Compassionate Friends — http://beyondgoodbye.co.uk/?page_id=3918

Runner-up: Teresa Evans — http://evansaboveonline.co.uk/

The Blossom d’Amour Award For Funeral Floristry

Winner: Heather Gorringe

Runner-up: Donald Thornford

Funeral Celebrant of the Year

Winner: Barbara Millar

Runner-up: Lynne Watson

Cemetery of the Year

Winner: Rotherfield Greys

Runner-up: Sun Rising

Gravedigger of the Year

Winner: Stuart Goodacre from Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

Runner-up: Paul Rackham from Diss in Norfolk

Best Funeral Arranger

Winner: Dee Besley – Rosedale Funeral Home

Runner-up: Angela Bailey — Harrison Funeral Home

The Bereavement Register Funeral Director of the Year

Winner: John Harris — T Cribb & Sons

Runner-up David Summers — AW Lymn, The Family Funeral Service

GreenAcres Woodland Burials Green Funeral Director of the Year

Winner: Rosie Grant, Natural Endings

Association of Green Funeral Directors Greenest Funeral Director in the AGFD

Leverton & Sons

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Paula Rainey Crofts

Runner-up: Josefine Speyer

This Good Funeral Awards ceremony constituted just one event in a weekend of countless highlights which brought together, in a spirit of amity and good felllowship,  more than 100 people of all sorts who work with the bereaved. More to follow. If you’d like to write about how it was for you, please send your copy to: charles@goodfuneralguide.co.uk

A HUGE thank you to Brian Jenner, without whose inspiration and tireless organisation the Good Funeral Awards weekend would be no more than a very good idea. 

20 Comments

  1. Charles

    What an amazing weekend. I’m so very proud to have been a part of it all and to have been a runner up in my category was truly fabulous…

    1. Charles

      Thank you for reminding me, Sarah – I meant to say that the judges suspended the Alternative Hearse category this year because none of the nominated people were able to make it to the awards. An awards ceremony loses a lot when an announcement is made and no one comes up. We very much hope to reinstate the category next year.

  2. Charles

    Really enjoyed the weekend. Thank you so much to Brian Jenner and to you Charles for organising the weekend which was a mammoth amount of work and effort.
    We were delighted that so many from the natural death movement won awards.
    It was lovely to meet up with old friends and make new ones.

    Best wishes

    Susan

    Susan Morris, Trustee
    The Natural Death Centre Charity, Association of Natural Burial Grounds
    Registered Charity No: 1091396 http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk @ndccharity

    The Natural Death Centre is an educational charity which sees death as a natural part of life. Founded in 1991, it is committed to supporting cultural change and is working towards a situation where all people are empowered in the process of dying, and organising a funeral. Last year alone the NDC received over 40,000 phone calls /emails to its helpline; over 140,000 new web visitors.

  3. Charles

    Very proud that Say Their Name won Best Bereavemnent Resource Award.Such a great bunch of people too.
    I don’t suppose anyone could forward us a picci being presented the award by the lovely Pat Butcher! Thanks again!

  4. Charles

    Congratulations Brian, Charles, the winners, runner-ups and all those involved in this event that raises awareness not just of important work but of its rich variety.

  5. Charles

    I was particularly impressed with the cheesecake. It was a thrilling melange of aspic and ricotta. Don’t stop Charles, even though the stress of it will clearly send you off mid hosting Tommy Cooper style. Then we can give you Best Death actually at the Awards award.

    1. Charles

      ‘Death Actually’ – love it Ru. Could be the name for next year’s event, though wouldn’t want Charles or any of ye fine souls actually deathing. Sorry I missed it and thanks for the #bomo updates on Twitter.

  6. Charles

    SO MUCH FUN!!! Thank you Charles and Brian for putting on the best party on the planet. Perhaps next year we should combine with the TUC conference? Sparks could fly. I’m sure it’s back-breaking work but we so appreciate it. Roll on BOMO 2014!

  7. Charles

    Sorry that I passed on the cheesecake. Ru makes it sound absolutely delicious…..Had such fun at my first Awards/Joy/Whatever weekend though I think, for us newbies, perhaps there should be some kind of ice-breaker session. Everyone very friendly, but lots of people have known each other for years and some of us are comparatively new to the business. It felt a little daunting on occasions. On the hugely plus side, of course, I came all the way home to Fife (is it always in Bournemouth? It’s an exceptionally long and expensive journey for some of us) with my own little coffin. As I said when I was presented with it by Pat/Pam, I shall find a way of displaying it which will really freak out my staid and sedate neighbours!!

  8. Charles

    It sounds like it was a wonderful event. I’m new on the scene as a funeral celebrant, but I already recognise some of the leading lights in the funeral profession and associated industries. Well done to everyone nominated, congratulations to all the award winners, and thanks so much to everyone who has been so helpful to me as I ask questions and seek to learn as much as I can to be the best I possibly can be. Would love to come to the next event!

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