Albery & Redstone Funeral Directors

Funeral Service Operatives

Richard Seymour — Wed, 28 May 2025 16:13:36 +0000

ALBERY & REDSTONE FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Require Funeral Service Operatives

Summary:

Applicants will be considered who live within the Okehampton area, enabling the business to respond promptly to duties 24 hours a day.

Duties are physically demanding, and heavy lifting is often a daily requirement, therefore applicants will need to demonstrate a good level of physical fitness and ability.

Applicants must be able to drive the specialist vehicles to a high standard.

The positions are offered on a zero hours basis thereby with no guarantee of work, it is therefore suitable for a person looking for a few hours with no guaranteed commitment or seeking additional hours to supplement another income.

Successful applicants will be required to join our Out of Hours team, which enables us to provide a removal service to our clients 24 hours a day. At any time you are called upon 24 hours a day.

Duties:

To be a coffin bearer and/or vehicle driver on funerals.

To carry out collections of the deceased from their homes, hospitals or hospices 24 hours a day. This will always be carried out with another 2nd and more experienced staff member during your induction period.

Requirements:

To operate all duties to a high standard, maintain professional image and behaviour at all times. At all times, be aware of your health and safety and that of others, follow procedures as set down or explained.

To be aware at all times, the confidential nature of the role.

Provide evidence of a clean full driving licence. To drive the company vehicles when required to a high standard and maintain the professional image required.

To cooperate and engage with the existing team of staff.

All enquiries to be e-mailed to David Albery on

office@alberyandredstone.co.uk

May 2025

Can You Still Have Horses?

Richard Seymour — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:57:50 +0000

Can You Still Have Horses?

A few weeks ago we showed the wonderful motorcycle hearse as a fitting tribute to a gentleman who loved their bikes, and the other day we got asked ‘can you still have horses!’ Well yes you can, here’s our David with a wonderful pair of black Friesian Horses, with red plumes, which was a favourite colour of the deceased, a lovely final touch to make their journey unique

Black Friesian horses have long been the traditional choice to pull hearses in funeral processions due to their striking appearance, calm temperament, and historical significance. These majestic animals, with their glossy black coats, flowing manes, and feathered legs, exude an air of elegance and solemnity that perfectly complements the somber atmosphere of a funeral. Friesians are known for their gentle disposition and trainability, making them well-suited for the slow, measured pace required when leading a procession. Moreover, their impressive strength and stamina allow them to pull the weight of a hearse with ease and grace. The use of black Friesian horses in funeral traditions dates back centuries, particularly in European cultures, where they were associated with nobility and ceremony. The contrast of their dark color against the often white or light-colored hearse creates a visually powerful and symbolically meaningful display, representing the journey from life to death. The presence of these regal animals adds an element of timeless beauty and dignity to the final farewell, providing a sense of comfort and respectfulness to the grieving family and friends in attendance.

Motorcycle Triumph Hearse

Richard Seymour — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:01:36 +0000

Motorcycle Triumph Hearse

We gave this lovely gentleman his final ride in a motorcycle triumph hearse, for someone who loved motorcycles, this couldn’t be more appropriate. One of the many different touches we can provide to make someone’s final journey, truly unique.

The latest addition to the fleet

Richard Seymour — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:17:25 +0000

The latest addition to the fleet

Here we have the latest addition to the fleet at Albery & Redstone. This is an original Victorian wheel Bier, built approximately 1890 at Colaton Raleigh in Devon.

Before the modern day hearse, and the extravagance of a horse drawn hearse, most villages had the ‘Parish Bier’ which would be used to convey loved ones to their place of burial. Most often kept in the church, or its own purpose built building in the corner of the church yard. This particular bier came out of the parish church at Holcombe Rogus, near Tiverton.

Once restored you will see it this year at the Okehampton Show, and will become a feature in our new premises at the old bank in Fore Street, Okehampton once completed.

An Update on Our New Premises

Richard Seymour — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 14:47:21 +0000

An Update on Our New Premises

A few months back we posted the exciting news of the purchase of our new premises, so to show you what has been happening so far, here are some photos of how the bank was when we bought it, and where we are now.

The first stage has been to completely rip everything out to the bare structure, then we can work out where everything needs to be, and what needs to be done. There will be some scaffolding going up on to the front of the building on Fore street to fix the roof, as unfortunately it is letting in water in a couple of places.

This will be a much larger premises compared to what we have currently, but we will be able to offer the community so much more. In addition to a dedicated Chapel of Rest, we will have a funeral service chapel, this means a small funeral can be held in full on the premises, on the first floor we will have a function room, so following a service in our service chapel, or indeed anywhere else, we can hold a funeral tea on site, therefore saving families/friends time in commuting to a different venue. This function room will also be open to the community for coffee mornings/groups, anybody who could benefit from this space.

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

A Move To New Premises

Richard Seymour — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:54:32 +0000

A Move To New Premises

Over the course of the next 12 months we shall be taking on a major project in converting this characterful property into a bespoke first class funeral home, our current premises are lovely, and have served many families over the years, but we have now outgrown our dear little office, and to continue to provide the high class services we pride ourselves in, we are now investing into the future of the business, securing its place as the leading Independent funeral director in the area.

Why Aren’t All Funeral Directors Inspected

Richard Seymour — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:53:50 +0000

Why aren’t all funeral directors inspected?

As an independent family funeral director, we strive to deliver the very best care to our community, as such we belong to the Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). By being part of this professional trade association, by which you as a business must meet strict criteria to belong, we are governed and regulated in our professional practices and premises requirements, ensuring our local community receives the best possible service to them and their loved ones. We do this as a mark of quality to show the public we are passionate about our profession and are dedicated professionals serving our families in the best possible way.

Not all funeral directors are the same, and with the awful news about a firm in Yorkshire recently, we want to assure you that we meet the highest standards in client care and the care of loved ones resting in our care on our premises.

Why aren’t all funeral directors inspected?

At this time there are no statutory requirements for a funeral director to be inspected. This is an entirely voluntary process by the funeral service providers and there are varying levels of code they can choose to adopt.

There is a general belief that funeral directors are regulated in some way but in fact the process of regulation is still at a relatively early stage in the UK with the exception of Scotland that will become regulated in March 2025.

This may be confusing to the consumer as there is not a great deal of clarity on what standards apply to funeral directors.

Funeral directors may choose to meet voluntary requirements by joining a trade association. Currently in the United Kingdom, only one trade association requires members to meet the highest level of standards through their ISO9001 certified inspection programme.

Outside of trade association membership, funeral directors can provide whatever level of care they deem to be appropriate. This creates a risk of care falling far short of even the lowest voluntary code of practice.

In March 2022, funeral director members of The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors voted to change their Code of Practice to increase the standards required of a member business. Further, SAIF successfully achieved the ISO9001 certification for their Quality Assurance program. This was seen as a significant step towards a regulated profession by none other than independent family owned members of the profession itself.

“This was a clear signal from the Society and its membership that any future regulation of funeral directors needs to set a high standard to ensure that in combination with the Competition and Markets Authority Order addressing pricing and transparency of ownership, funeral service providers who continue to fail they families they serve should not be allowed to practice. The SAIF Standard is the highest benchmark for funeral directors in the United Kingdom. Every single member is subject to independent inspection without exception.” Terry Tennens, SAIF Chief Executive.

Whilst the quality of funeral service providers can vary greatly, choosing a funeral director is made a much easier task by ensuring that they are members of SAIF. It is your guarantee that their business has been fully inspected and complies with the strictest code of practice.

Stay funeral safe with SAIF.

What a Direct Cremation entails

Richard Seymour — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 13:29:39 +0000

What a Direct Cremation Entails

As your trusted, SAIF Approved, locally owned funeral director, Albery & Redstone Funeral Directors, we feel it is important that you are aware of exactly what a Direct Cremation entails.

A stand alone Direct Cremation, as you might see advertised on TV, has no service for family or friends at all.

It is quite simply, a removal of you loved one, followed by the return of the cremated remains some weeks later.

It is often the case that your loved one is transported to a central cremation hub far from their home.

We do offer Direct Cremation, but unlike many of the offers advertised on TV, we will look after your loved one locally and continue to offer the additional services you have come to expect from us.

Feel free to come in for a chat about the wide range of options we offer.

Press Release – Lets Talk About Direct Cremations

Richard Seymour — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:45:39 +0000

An Okehampton funeral director is supporting a nationwide campaign to help bereaved families better understand funeral options amid fears that many people are not getting the send-off they expected.

The Let’s Talk About Direct Cremation campaign has been launched in response to growing concerns about ‘no-fuss’ funerals which often prevent mourners from gathering to say goodbye to a loved one.

Albery & Redstone Funeral Directors are participating in the initiative led by SAIF, the UK’s largest trade association representing independent funeral directors.

The hope is that by raising awareness of the differences between unattended and attended funerals, families will be able to make a more informed choice when the time comes. For example, some national direct cremation companies do not facilitate chapel of rest viewings, meaning friends and relatives are unable to spend time with a loved one before the cremation.

Commenting on the campaign, David Albery (Owner of Albery & Redstone Funerals), said they had noticed an increase in people who regret opting for a direct cremation.

“Bereavement counsellors we work with tell us that a lot of the people they support now are those whose loved one opted for a direct cremation that prevented them from gathering with family and friends to say goodbye.

“We don’t want to deter anyone from arranging direct cremations but we just want to ensure people are able to make an informed decision at life’s most difficult time,” he said.

As part of the Let’s Talk About Direct Cremation campaign, Albery & Redstone Funerals is displaying posters in its shop windows and online encouraging people to take the time to find out what a direct cremation entails. It is also participating in community talks to raise awareness.

In 2019, direct cremations accounted for just 4% of funerals annually, however Covid restrictions caused a surge and at the height of the pandemic 18% of funerals were unattended. This has fallen to around 14% now.

Additionally, it is estimated that between 37% and 40% of all funeral plans sold now are for direct cremation funerals.

Terry Tennens, Chief Executive of SAIF, welcomed Albery & Redstone Funerals’ involvement in the campaign.

“It’s fantastic to see local independent businesses working to help vulnerable people in their communities make informed decisions about funerals, which are often the ultimate distressed purchase.

“I defend anyone’s right to have a direct cremation but it’s important that people know exactly what they are buying and look beyond the ‘no-fuss’ headlines and ensure that this kind of service is going to work for them and their families.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Albery & Redstone Funerals on 01837 55299

For further information about SAIF, please visit saif.org.uk.

Visit the Okehampton Show 2023

Richard Seymour — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 18:47:41 +0000

Okehampton Show 2023

Thursday 10th August

Be sure to visit our stand at this year’s Okehampton Show.

Join us on the northern edge of the beautiful Dartmoor National Park for a traditional agricultural show with a wide range of prize winning animals, delicious local food & drink, plenty of shopping, displays, children’s entertainment and much more.

Albery & Redstone Funeral Directors will be supporting the Farm Safety Foundation.

Gates open at 9am.
Dogs welcome.
Free car parking.

Location : Stoney Park Showground, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1SW

Visit https://www.okehamptonshow.co.uk/ for further information.