Natural Death Handbook Awards 2004

PRESS RELEASE: On Sunday April 18th 2004, as part of the National Day of the Dead ceremonies organised by the Natural Death Centre, the following five National Awards (and 36 Regional Awards) were publicly presented by funerary historian Dr Julian Litten.

• The Natural Death Handbook Award 2004 for the Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK goes to South Downs Natural Burial Site at East Meon, Hampshire, which provides an exceptionally friendly and helpful service - a complete funeral at the site, including the grave, the digging, backfilling and top-soiling by hand, tree planting and staking, 4x4 transportation for elderly or infirm mourners, A3 page in memorial book, and staff attendance at funeral, costs £602-50.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground North West Region: The Friends of Nature Burial Ground, Graveyard Farm, Newton Hall Lane, Mobberley, Cheshire.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground North East Region: Northumbrian Woodland Burials, Bockenfield, Felton, Nr Morpeth.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground in Wales: Coed Bell Cemetery, Llanasa Road, Prestatyn, Denbighshire.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground West Midlands Region: Westhope Church Meadow Green Burial Ground, Westhope Craft College, Craven Arms, Shropshire.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground East Midlands Region: Golden Valley Woodland Burial Ground, Nr Newlands Road, Riddings, Nr Alfreton, Derbyshire.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground East Anglia Region: Barton Glebe, The Arbory Trust, Bishop Woodford House, Barton Road, Ely.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground South West Region: Great Bradley Cottage Natural Burial Ground, Templeton, Tiverton.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground South Region: South Downs Natural Burial Site, Sustainability Centre, Droxford Road, East Meon.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground in Greater London: City of London Cemetery Woodland Burial Ground, Aldersbrook Road, London E12.

  - Best Natural Burial Ground in Scotland: Clovery Woods of Rest, Brackenrig, Fyvie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

• The Natural Death Handbook Award 2004 for the Best Cemetery in the UK goes, along with the crematorium award, to Carlisle. The Bereavement Manager in charge of both places is June Carswell and the services she and her colleagues provide consistently win awards. The Carlisle Cemetery makes available not only cardboard and regular coffins, but its own woollen shroud. In addition they publish excellent guidance for those arranging funerals without funeral directors.

  - Best Cemetery North West Region: Carlisle Cemetery in Carlisle.

  - Best Cemetery North East Region: Boston Cemetery in Boston Lincs.

  - Best Cemetery in Wales: Lon Newydd Cemetery in Anglesey.

  - Best Cemetery West Midlands Region: Stapenhill Cemetery in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire.

  - Best Cemetery East Midlands Region: Luton Church Cemetery in Luton, Bedfordshire.

  - Best Cemetery East Anglia Region: Maldon Cemetery in Maldon, Essex.

  - Best Cemetery South West Region: North Cemetery in Bournemouth, Dorset.

  - Best Cemetery South Region: Langney Cemetery in Eastbourne.

  - Best Cemetery Greater London Region: Croydon Cemetery.

• The Natural Death Handbook Award 2004 for the Best Crematorium in the UK goes to the Carlisle Crematorium run by June Carswell and her colleagues in Carlisle's Bereavement Services. They offer a reduced fee for those choosing a fuel-saving 'Environmental Cremation', which involves a cardboard coffin and cremation the same day or by the following morning, thus saving on pre-heating of the cremator. They publish excellent guidance for those arranging funerals without funeral directors and can help the public by providing cold storage for the body. They accept a wide variety of body containers from home-made to wicker coffins. They can provide cold storage for the body before the funeral and extra bearers to help the family.

  - Best Crematorium North West Region: Carlisle Crematorium in Carlisle.

  - Best Crematorium North East Region: Great Grimsby Crematorium in North Lincolnshire.

  - Best Crematorium in Wales: Llwydcoed Crematorium in Aberdare, Mid Glamorgan.

  - Best Crematorium West Midlands Region: Mid-Warwickshire Crematorium in Leamington Spa.

  - Best Crematorium East Midlands Region: Kettering Crematorium in Northamptonshire.

  - Best Crematorium East Anglia Region: Mintlyn Crematorium in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

  - Best Crematorium South West Region: Weymouth Crematorium in Dorset.

  - Best Crematorium South Region: Kingston Crematorium in Kingston-upon-Thames.

  - Best Crematorium Greater London Region: Kensal Green in London W10.

• The Natural Death Handbook Award 2004 for the Best Funeral Director in the UK goes to Peace Funerals of Sheffield. They see it as their role to offer flexible options and to empower the bereaved. Their service is widely available and they have their own range of willow coffins and run two woodland burial grounds. The Natural Death Centre receives many unsolicited plaudits for this firm from the general public.

  - Best Funeral Director North West Region: S. Wellens & Son Ltd in Middleton, Manchester.

  - Best Funeral Director North East Region: Peace Funerals in Sheffield.

  - Best Funeral Director in Wales: W. O. Williams in Anglesey.

  - Best Funeral Director West Midlands Region: Fred Stevens Funeral Directors in Nailsworth.

  - Best Funeral Director East Midlands Region: G. & L. Evans in Faringdon, Oxon.

  - Best Funeral Director East Anglia Region: R. Gwinnell & Sons in Manningtree, Essex.

  - Best Funeral Director South West Region: D. Williams in Bideford, Devon.

  - Best Funeral Director South Region: Masters & Son (Lindfield) Ltd in Lindfield, West Sussex.

  - Best Funeral Director Greater London Region: J. E. Gillman & Sons Ltd in Tooting.

  - Best Funeral Director in Scotland: P. B. Wright & Sons in Greenock.

• The Natural Death Handbook Award 2004 for the Best Coffin Manufacturer in the UK goes to William Wainman and his firm SAWD Ltd in Sittingbourne, Kent. With the introduction of the Bamboo Eco Coffin they have pioneered the use of bamboo in coffin manufacturing. Made almost entirely from bamboo, strong, light, and less expensive than the wicker models, the Natural Death Centre receives favourable comments regarding these coffins from both the public and the funeral trade.

  In making these Awards, the editorial team relied on their own surveys and investigations and on feedback to the Natural Death Centre from the general public, so as to decide which services were the most helpful, the most innovative and the best value. The Natural Death Handbook was published by Rider on November 6th 2003 (obtainable for £14.99, or £15.50 by credit card, incl. p&p from the Natural Death Centre, phone 0871 288 2098 or order online with a credit or debit card).

  For further information, please contact Michael Jarvis or Stephanie Wienrich at the Natural Death Centre (tel 0871 288 2098 or e-mail: contact@naturaldeath.org.uk).

The Natural Death Centre is a project of The Nicholas Albery Foundation, registered charity no. 1091396.