June 2017

 
Welcome to the latest edition of the Institute Update
 

A very warm welcome to our newest members:
        Di Gilbranch, Effie Maclellan and Claire Bradshaw.

Council Update
Another very productive council meeting was held at the end of last month where the new website was discussed along with the usual items of finance, administration and events. The redesign of the website is well underway and it is hoped that we will be able to launch it at Conference in October. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter it will be a much easier website to navigate and will be directed more towards the general public. With 172 members the Institute is going from strength to strength and the current healthy financial position of the Institute allows this and other work to be carried out. A further meeting will be held in July to finalise the content and we will keep you updated on progress.
 
NFE and Conference
Following the very successful seminar day, held on a glorious Spring day at the Chiltern Natural Burial Centre, Beaconsfield, Council are hoping to repeat the event in the north of England.

By the time you read this newsletter NFE will be almost upon us. This is another great weekend and I know that many members will be attending. Barbara has arranged a separate room over lunch time on the Saturday (12pm to 2pm) so that members can have some time away from the exhibition halls to network. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided, bring your own packed lunch. If you wish to take advantage of this please drop by the IoCF Stand, 250 in Hall 2, and let Barbara know as soon as you are able so that numbers can be confirmed Then, gather at the stand for 11.50 ish so that we can walk over to the room together.

Finally, plans for the conference and AGM in October continue. More details will be available regarding this weekend very soon but please put 20th-22nd October in your diaries.
 
Regional Get-togethers
Feedback received from members following Seminar days and Conference is that you would all welcome more networking time at these events and this will be one of our aims when Conference is held in October.

Another way to network would be to hold a regional get-together. There are regional groups in parts of the country who do meet up regularly. You may have seen on Facebook recently that celebrants from the Surrey area, and West London, arranged an evening to catch up and have a chat over a meal. I was one of the celebrants who attended and it was a lovely evening being able to share stories and welcome new members. If you do hold a regional get-together perhaps you could post it on Facebook or let Barbara know so that members are aware of what is available in their area.
 
Feedback
We all welcome feedback from families whether it is in the form of an email, card or feedback form.

As you know, one of the benefits of being a member of the Institute is that feedback forms are sent out to families about six weeks after the ceremony asking for their views on the celebrant and the ceremony provided (providing permission has been sought from the family beforehand).

So a reminder to everyone, if you would like to receive feedback from families in the form of a feedback form, please do complete the family contact section on your booking forms when you send them in to Barbara.

On the whole all feedback received is very complimentary and an award can be given to the celebrant who receives the most outstanding feedback at the annual conference.

Sometimes, however, it can be negative. In this case, it is Council's responsibility to find out what might have happened and whether it could have been handled differently. It may simply be a case that 'Uncle Fred' didn't have his hearing aid turned up! We will contact you, so should you receive a call from a member of Council, it is only so that we can try and establish why the family has made a negative comment and nothing more.
 
Regulation of the Funeral Sector
It was interesting to read in the May edition of the Funeral Service Journal that members of the funeral profession in Scotland have committed to work with the Scottish Government to introduce regulation to the sector.

This follows the passing into law of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 and will bring about the introduction of a statutory inspector of funeral directors, regulations governing the funeral profession and the possible licensing of funeral directors.

This Act could have an effect on the industry across the UK. It is an important step in ensuring families have the best of care at a very emotional time.
 
Sad News
It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of John Oliver. John had been a member of the Institute for over five years, and was a very enthusiastic contributor, always bringing a lively discussion to conference. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.
 
Karen Hopkins
Chairman
 

 
Diary Dates

 
And finally ...
 

Congratulations to the following members who have reached another milestone in their work, ranging from 50 to 2000 funerals (in no particular order):

Wendy Eastman, James Duke, Steve Jewell, Jane Jackson, Sarah Chapman, Alison Vallance, Kevin Bending and Chris Howe.

 

Thank you for reading and see you at NFE!
Barbara