The funeral frontline

For most businesses, the outbreak of Covid-19 has had a profound impact.

It will take time for most to recover once the virus has been defeated and things return to normal. However, the funeral industry wasn’t shut down by coronavirus unlike so much of British and world industry. Nevertheless, it has had to face immense challenges and react to them while remaining efficient, kind and considerate to those bereaved families it serves.

So funeral, cremation and cemetery workers in the UK have been very much in the frontline of our national fight with the coronavirus. They are undoubtedly unsung heroes doing very valuable work which all too often goes unrecognised - as to show them going about their sterling work is unlikely. TV programmes doing this would have spread a national depression in a way that showing the efforts of NHS workers; other care workers; volunteers and even bus drivers did not. However, this lack of media acclaim shouldn’t cause anyone to doubt the utter dedication of our profession and its people.

The death rate in April was significantly inflated. This was caused not just by the direct effects of the virus but because people also died at an increased rate due to a low death rate earlier in the year - caused by a mild winter; a necessary concentration of resource on the virus and perhaps the ill avoiding hospitals out of fear of the virus?

The pandemic’s effect on the national death rate brought out the best in the funeral industry’s diverse areas’ desire to work together with all crematoria, cemeteries and memorial park’s reporting splendid levels of cooperation between funeral directors, clergy, celebrants and everyone that is either indirectly or directly involved in the end of life process.

So, the funeral industry, including most municipal crematoria, pulled together to agree on allowing reduced numbers to attend services, provide protective equipment for colleagues on the frontline and introduce a comprehensive emergency compliance manual to ensure everyone’s safety. This very well co-ordinated and professional approach meant that most locations across the UK continued to operate in a way which allowed restricted numbers to safely attend services.

Bereavement is the price that we must all pay, whatever our faith, for loving and being loved. It would be wrong to claim any positives from such a period of inexplicable tragedy, but perhaps this balanced focus on loss and grief, regardless of race, skin colour or religion will have shown to the country just how losing a loved one is equal. The pain feels exactly the same and the funeral industry should take enormous credit for being able to accommodate every culture across our country in accordance with their beliefs and non-beliefs.

Undoubtedly many lessons will have been learned as we battled with Covid-19 and yes, the funeral industry has shown remarkable foresight and resilience in helping people at the worst moment of their lives. The many years of dedicated experience amongst representatives of this industry, was of crucial importance during these difficult days.

So, whilst we rightly salute the staff in our hospitals and care homes, and while it must be understood that we are unlikely to see funeral workers on our TV screens, we must never lose sight of what an incredibly professional funeral service industry this country has.

We at Memoria, like other providers in the UK, are rightly very proud of our colleagues and how they have not just maintained the superb service they have always delivered but have continued to do so despite these unprecedented and difficult circumstances.

Frank Meilack Director of Community Engagement, Memoria Ltd