Living Memorial is a soil blend that has similar consistency to normal top soil. The special blend promotes biodiversity at all levels of an eco-system. Cremation ashes have a high pH (alkalinity) and a high Sodium, Calcium and Potassium content, which normal soil doesn’t counteract. These damage the root structure of plants, resulting in deficient or at worst dead plants due to the barren soil. Living Memorial soil blend is specifically formulated to restore the natural pH and neutralise the high concentration of Sodium, allowing the growing plant to flourish, with deeper healthy root stuctur ..read more

Some funeral venues have TV screens which allow you to show a slideshow of photos on the screens. At other venues, this facility may not be available – or you may prefer to have photos shown in printed form. This is when a printed board with a single photo or collage of photos can be created. These can include words – or simply photos. Typically the boards will rest on an easel and can be used for the funeral service itself and / or the reception afterwards to help personalise the space. What size board should you order? Here are some typical dimensions with a size guide: Small 30cm x 42cm T ..read more

A modern funeral is about choice.  A funeral can be a private, quiet farewell, a sense of ceremony and occasion, or even unattended. Currently, influential TV and media advertising is pushing the ‘no funeral’ – where no-one attends.  But you have far more options than either a traditional style funeral or an unattended direct cremation. What you may not know: A hearse does not have to be used for transport A cremation service does not have to be held at a crematorium  Family can lead the service themselves When your needs are simple,  we can organise a private farewell wh ..read more

A few years ago when we launched White Rose Modern Funerals, my parents, then in their early 80’s, informed my sister and I that the previous year they had purchased funeral plans as they did not want to leave us with any unnecessary burden at the time they died. Plenty of family banter then ensued that they should have held on – they now had their own family funeral directors! What was interesting to us, armed with our insider knowledge, was the small print of my parents’ funeral plans, purchased from a provider that regularly advertises in the mainstream media. We discovered that they were a ..read more

White Rose Modern Funerals were interviewed for a ‘business in the spotlight’ feature in the March 2022 issue of the TW Magazine covering Teddington and Twickenham. The article is posted below. How did you get into this business? We launched in 2018 as a result of our own poor experience of trying to arrange a simple funeral for Nick’s mother and attending the funeral of a friend that just did not reflect their life. We felt there should be more flexibility for families, that wasn’t limited to either a traditional format, or a direct cremation where no-one attends. We felt that price transpare ..read more

While in life people focus on how we can be kinder to the planet, what happens to us afterwards may not always be that environmentally friendly. In fact, emissions from cremations can be surprisingly high. In October 2021, there was a special report by BBC South News on how to make funerals greener. This looked at the impact on the environment of gas cremations and the benefits of greener alternatives like electric cremators and in particular natural burials. In March 2021 the Environmental Stewardship Group was set up to address the bereavement sector’s impact on the environment and its respo ..read more

“I don’t want any fuss, just stick me in a cardboard box and be done with it!” Many times we hear this response when people are asked the question about their own funeral – or when faced with a genuine end of life situation with terminal illness. Digging a little deeper, it’s often more about what they don’t want rather than just being disposed of in a cardboard box! From our research we know that people don’t want too much fuss or expense. They also don’t like the idea of being on parade when dead – the tradition of a man in a top hat they’ve never met leading a hearse procession and a sombre ..read more

How to discern an independent funeral director, a corporate funeral director and a remote ‘tech’ funeral director When faced with planning a funeral, the services of a local funeral director can help to guide you through decision making and solve any complex issues. This  guide is to help inform you about local funeral directors in Richmond and Kingston upon Thames – and how to discern ‘independent’ vs ‘corporate’ vs ‘tech’. There are a few notable differences to be aware of. The first contact with a funeral director The death of a family member or friend is a vulnerable  time.  ..read more

Alternative Cremation Venue £2,250 + 3rd party costs and options It is a natural assumption when planning a cremation funeral that the service must take place at the crematorium chapel, unless a church service is planned first. This is not necessarily the case. We regularly take families to a completely different type of venue – a natural burial ground that allow their ceremonial hall to be used for cremation services. The service is held at the venue, the actual cremation then takes place afterwards at a local crematorium and is unattended. Two such local venues we use are GreenAcres Chiltern ..read more

For anyone approaching the end of their life, it is vital that they feel able to stay in control of the situation as far as possible, have the knowledge to make informed decisions and have the right support around them to feel comforted. Friends and family can provide incredible love and support, but often there’s a need for someone who is not connected with the family. Someone who has the unique experience to help guide them and who they can freely confide in. An End of Life Doula is someone who provides the structure and ability to approach death holistically, helping support choices at end ..read more