Arranging a Funeral
As your appointed Funeral Director, we are here to help and advise you in whatever way we can. Our role is to gently guide the families we look after through the different stages of arranging a funeral.
Heathfield Funeral Service – Coronavirus Update
As a result of the ongoing national health emergency we feel it would be helpful to update interested parties with the current situation concerning funerals.
Funerals have been severely affected by coronavirus in general and particularly with regards to social distancing, causing distress to thousands of people. The health and safety of our staff is our highest concern, as well as continuing operationally to look after families requiring our services. As a result of the current situation a number of our normal procedures have been revised following advice from local and national Government, in line with guidance we have received from our trade association – SAIF.
We are, as always, doing our best to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will look after the needs of each family, albeit by telephone. We will guide families through what they need to do during each part of arranging a funeral and give advice and recommendations where necessary. As we are not arranging funerals with families face to face we will arrange for paperwork to be scanned and emailed to the appropriate authorities and individual requirements will be discussed and agreed to meet the needs of each family. You will always speak to one of our members of staff.
To protect both the health of our staff and the families we look after we are not able to offer many services, including embalming, viewing of a loved one in our Chapel of Rest, or to offer limousines as part of a funeral arrangement. When attending a private home to take care of a loved one who has died our staff will wear gloves, mask, and other protective items. They will ask the immediate family present to stay in a separate room whilst they carry out their duties. The use of Personal Protective Equipment is to safeguard your family, as well as our staff.
Funeral services can either be held at the crematorium chapel, or with a graveside service in the churchyard, or cemetery. Churches are currently closed. Churchyards and Cemeteries have introduced regulations for graveside services only, with immediately family only permitted to attend. Crematoriums have greatly limited attendance at services and certain social distancing measures are in force. Some crematoriums can offer live webcast viewing of funeral services online. Our staff will explain the various ‘local’ rules in more detail.
For as long as this current situation continues some crematoriums, along with ourselves, have either held, or revised their pricing structure. We have made every effort to reflect the various revised charges in our detailed ‘Price List’, which you will find in our website, however, due to ever changing pricing updates we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, so please do bear with us on this. Our suppliers are having to revise the products they are able to offer to us, with particular regard to the choice of coffins, due to ongoing high demand and we ask for your patience and flexibility in the event certain items are temporarily unavailable.
In the coming weeks the various procedures and national restrictions introduced may change again as Government, crematoria, clergy and others involved make changes to the way they operate, which will in turn directly affect both us and the families we care for. Please be assured we will guide you through this very difficult time and keep you fully informed of any changes, as and when we receive updated information.
These are unprecedented times. The various changes are necessary, and we ask for your support and understanding at this challenging time for everyone.
Heathfield Funeral Service is an independent, family-owned, funeral directors, based in the bustling market town of Heathfield. Since acquiring the business in 1991 our relationship with families throughout Sussex has been valued over many decades, with our care and attention to detail being renowned as being of the very highest quality.
On a daily basis Wendy Mitchell manages the Heathfield office. Dorothy, Tim, Jacky, Clare and Charles Waterhouse, supported by their loyal and experienced team, endeavour to provide traditional, bespoke or simple funerals, reflecting not only the person who has died, but with the key aim of exceeding the expectations of each family we care for.
As your appointed Funeral Director, we are here to help and advise you in whatever way we can. Our role is to gently guide the families we look after through the different stages of arranging a funeral.
To find out about funerals we are looking after, or to make a donation in memory of someone where donations have been requested by the family of the deceased, please click here.
The cost of funeral expenses concerns many people and you may wish to sorting your financial and other arrangements out in advance, thus ensuring your loved ones will be spared much of the burden of organising and paying for your funeral.
