Funeral Arrangements Guidance Notes

Introduction

We are occasionally asked for advice on funeral arrangements. In response to these enquiries we have compiled the following notes which we hope will eliminate some of the pitfalls and will help bereaved families choose the type of funeral most suited to their needs.

Reading Borough Council does not provide a funeral director's services and cannot collect bodies or provide Chapels of Rest, we can however give unbiased advice on funeral arrangements.

It is not easy to eliminate the funeral director completely. Many families would find the handling of deceased, e.g. the moving from hospital mortuary, or placing of the body in the coffin, too upsetting. We would therefore recommend that consideration be given to using a funeral director perhaps albeit in a minimal way. Some local funeral directors may be willing to help in this way, without further involvement, only providing a coffin and perhaps the use of their Chapel of Rest. Coffins may also be obtained through other sources; The Natural Death Centre is a useful source of information.

Article		Description
	Funeral Arrangements Guidance notes
	Repatriation
	Bereavement
	Exhuming a deceased body
	Buying a grave
	Municipal funerals