December 2016

 
Welcome to the latest edition of the Institute Update
 

A very warm welcome to our newest members:

Jeremy Pemberton, Laura Kent, Alison Vallance, Chris Courtney, Peter Kirkpatrick, Lynn Parker, Tracy Ward and Rachel Bass.

New Chair

As you are all aware, Christine stood down as Chairman at the AGM in October. Christine worked very hard in her role promoting the work of the IoCF and so it is going to be difficult to follow in her footsteps. At a Council meeting last week I (Karen Hopkins) agreed to take on the position of Chair for the following year and I will aim to continue to the good work of Christine during this time.

 
Feedback forms ...

At the AGM it was agreed that the way of receiving feedback from families would be reviewed and streamlined. However, following feedback from members, and further discussion at Council, it has been decided to leave the way we obtain feedback as it is for the moment. Members really do appreciate individual feedback from families and of course this remains the unique selling point of the IoCF.

 
... and booking forms

To enable Barbara to contact families for feedback it is important that she receives your booking forms. Not only does she use this information for this reason but as a method for collecting data for statistical purposes. Please leave family information blank if you feel it would be inappropriate to send a feedback form. If for any reason you have a backlog of booking forms waiting to be completed please contact Barbara to identify a way forward.

There has been some discussion on the Facebook page regarding asking families for their consent to pass on their details to Barbara. One way many members have found to make this a little easier is to adapt the letter which is given to families stating that, unless they say otherwise, their contact details will be passed to the Institute so that a feedback form can be sent in approximately six weeks. The letter is included in your joining pack; a copy can also be requested from Barbara.

 
Seminar Day - April 2017

Plans are underway for a seminar day on Saturday 8th April 2017.

We are hoping to secure Greenacres Chiltern (Woodland Burial Park) in Beaconsfield as the venue. It is a beautiful setting and a tour of the grounds will be structured into the day.

There are plans to repeat the Seminar at a similar venue in the NW or NE for the benefit of our more northerly members, and we would be grateful for any suggestion for suitable Woodland burial sites.

 
National Funeral Exhibition

The NFE will be held over the weekend of 9th - 11th June with the theme of Music. Once again the IoCF will have a stand at the exhibition and it is always a pleasure to see members during this event.

Members of Council will be there, but we would also appreciate your support in helping to 'man' the stand. If you are coming to the NFE and can spare an hour to do this, please let Barbara know and she will draw up a rota to be circulated in advance of the event.

 
AGM and Conference 2017

We will be returning to Hillscourt Conference Centre for our annual conference and AGM over the weekend of 20th-22nd October 2017.

As always, this popular weekend will begin with the traditional quiz on Friday evening. The conference is run with the membership in mind and so if anyone has any suggestions for topics/speakers please let Barbara know.

More details on all of these events in the New Year.

 
Retirement

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Joe Donovan all the very best for the future as he has decided to retire from celebrancy work.

Joe trained with Civil Ceremonies in September 2003 at the Holiday Inn, Hemel Hempstead, and is a Founder member of the Institute, his membership starting in February 2005! No doubt he has seen much change during his time as a celebrant.

We would like to thank him for all his hard work and support of the Institute during his membership and wish him many healthy and happy years of 'pleasing himself'.

 
New people, new ideas

As Barbara has recently taken on more responsibilities in her role as Administrator, the need for monthly Council meetings has lessened, and meetings are now scheduled for once a quarter.

While the Council consists of a few members, it would be beneficial to have some more input in the day-to-day running of the Institute. So if anyone is willing to give up one day every three months to become a Council Member it would be much appreciated.

While this is a voluntary role, travel is reimbursed.

Please contact Barbara or one of the Council members if you would like to help out.

 
Well another year is almost over and Christmas is upon us. While everyone is busy with their preparations let us take a few moments to think of those who are poorly and/or looking after family members during this time. Christmas can be a difficult time of year but also a time of great joy. I would like to take this opportunity of wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.

I look forward to my new role as Chair for the Council and hope to see as many of you at the events during the course of next year. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any concerns or queries.

Karen Hopkins

 
Admin News
 

The office will be closed from 12 noon on Friday 23rd December until Tuesday 3rd January. The phone lines will be covered. In case of emergencies please contact Karen Hopkins on 07757 795364.

In the New Year usual office opening times will be from 9 - 5 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Occasionally days may alter due to scheduled meetings.

 
Email redirection

Thank you to everyone who has been emailing in booking forms and completing Crematorium Assessments. The mail redirection we have in place for any post sent to Nene Road comes to an end on 26th February 2017 - please use these pre-paid envelopes before the cut-off date (we will be charged £2 to collect each one) or contact Barbara and she will arrange for a replacement to be sent to you.

 
Training Update
 

Advanced Learner Loans are now available for the Naming and Couples Diploma. Contact CCL for details (info@civilceremonies.co.uk / 01480 276080).

Our next Advanced Practice Training courses will be in spring 2017:

- Level 4 Advanced Practice Advanced Bereavement Interviews - 28th March 2017

- Level 4 Advanced Practice Tribute Writing Techniques - 29th March 2017

- Level 4 Advanced Practice Voice &apm; Delivery Skills for Funeral Celebrants - 5th April 2017

- Level 4 Advanced Practice Child and Baby Funerals - 6th April 2017

For more details visit the CCL website or call us on 01480 276080.

A busy time of year is approaching! Please don't forget that help and support from CCL is always there. You can email or call and ask anything at all - from a difficult situation in preparing a funeral to poetry suggestions!

A very Happy Christmas and New Year to all IoCF members

from Anne and all the staff at Civil Ceremonies Ltd

 
Database Statistics
 

The database statistics for April 2016 are as follows:

Total number of booking forms logged: 822

 
Diary Dates

 
And finally ...
 

Congratulations to the following members who have reached another milestone in their work, ranging from 50 to 1500 funerals (in no particular order):

Heather Peet, Faith Oxford, Sharon Price, Karen Hopkins, Robert Hyde, Ellie Lomas, Sally Band, Geoff Wood, Jane Jackson, Mark Gilborson, Shelagh Mernagh and Colin Thomas.

 

Thank you for reading and a very merry Christmas to you all.
Barbara