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
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.
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…
No alternative funeral transport this year, was hoping Clare and Michelle would ‘thrash’ Rev on his trike?
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.
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… Read more »
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!
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.
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.
‘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.
Yes Kateyanne, Death, Actually is a brilliant title. Available at a discount price to the organisers..
It is a brilliant name. Brilliant.
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!
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… Read more »
Well done to the organisers, the runners-up and the winners. And a hug thanks to Pam who was extraordinarily good – what a fab lady!
‘Hug thanks’ for those who don’t know is when you’re so grateful you have to give someone a hug.
Ah.
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!
See my and others’ comments at Chas’s “Let’s Have a Feedback Frenzy” blog.
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