The ICCM Journal | Summer 2020 | V88 No. 2
61
going the extra mile...thank you A section of the Journal dedicated to the people in our sector who have gone "the extra mile" to help and support in these difficult times.
It is hard to believe that all those years of sitting in meetings discussing how we would cope if we ever had to deal with mass deaths, putting together an emergency plan that we never really believed we would actually need, has now become a reality. It has been an extremely difficult and challenging time for all staff working within our sector. Not only are we navigating our way through a maze of changing legislation and adapting to new ways of working, we are also still trying to give a service to the bereaved the best way we can, given all the restrictions in place. It has been heart-warming to hear of the thoughtful things that staff working on sites have done to offer some comfort to those grieving families where self-isolation and self-distancing measures have been imposed. Some sites have creatively used technology to put together videos, photographs and a map of the cemetery to show families what grave spaces are available so they can still have some choice when selecting a grave as physical selections are no longer allowed. Additional service times have been offered to families to accommodate their needs and free webcasting is in place at a lot of sites that have the facility. Some staff have even offered to video burial services on their phones so that it can be circulated to those that were not able to attend. Future use of the chapel is also being offered, free of charge, for those families that wish to hold a memorial service later. Where visiting has been restricted staff have offered to place flowers on graves on their behalf and take photos, emailing these to families to give them some comfort. At the time of writing, those sites that can, are still trying to offer some sort of service, rather than none. Even with having to limit numbers on attendance and enforce social distancing, staff are ensuring that the chapel is being cleaned and wiped down in between services in order to protect, as much as possible, anyone using their facilities. Graves are still being dug, grass is still being cut and all administration is being carried out, just to make sure that funerals can still go ahead. It has been pleasing to see that that there has been a fantastic amount of collaborative working with different regions setting up their own forums and WhatsApp groups to share information with industry colleagues as well as to offer support during those stressful moments! So, at a time where we may feel a little invisible perhaps, please note that you have not gone unnoticed. What you are doing will no doubt help those families through their grief at such a raw time in their lives. It is sometimes the little things that have the most impact.
Thank you Gemma!
I would like to offer a good news story were one of my staff Gemma Thornton our bereavement service administration apprentice, volunteered to go over to Tameside Council and help out as they had hardly any trained staff available due to the covid-19 and through self-isolation. They had issues with IT that meant the staff could not work from home. They needed someone with BACAS experience to take bookings and input the crem forms. Gemma selflessly offered to go over to Tameside while they put something in place. Gemma worked in an office which had been prepared especially for her so she could adhere to social distancing while covering the administration duties. Gemma work at Tameside for 2 days until the IT issue was resolved. I think this shows the dedication of our staff to help each other out in a crisis and Gemma definitely went above and beyond to assist colleagues in their time of need. Barry Ellis Bereavement Services Manager, Agecroft Cemetery
