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The ICCM Journal | Summer 2021 | V89 No. 2
GreenAcres reflects on the far-reaching impact of covid on the funeral industry Andy Tait, CEO of GreenAcres Group, reflects on the last 12 months On the first National Day of Reflection (23 March 2021) – marking one year since the first UK lockdown – Andy Tait, CEO of GreenAcres Group, reflects on the last 12 months and looks ahead to how the pandemic could have a lasting impact on the sector. “We in this industry all recognise the pressures this past year has put on our services. We might even go so far as to say we are the forgotten sector; the service that even government ministers don’t like to talk about. Yet we make such a difference to people’s lives at such a difficult time. “Sadly, it comes as no shock to people in this sector that the average UK death rate during the last 12 months was 14.5% higher* than the previous, with the number of funeral services twice the typical average in some weeks during 2020 and the start of 2021. Across our six parks, we’ve supported around 4,000 families through their loss over the past year – an increase of 21% on the previous 12 months for GreenAcres. “We’ve made it our mission to ensure that every family still had the opportunity to make their loved one’s resting place as unique and special as ever. Our teams – as frontline workers – have displayed immense fortitude, at times having to withdraw from their own family bubbles to protect them and keep safe and sensitively delivering the services that bereaved families needed. Together with colleagues across the industry, we have embraced flexible working so as to accommodate early morning and weekend services, we’ve supported thousands of people over a short, intense period. “By offering unique, personalised services and resting
Coffin burials are frequently chosen by people of different religious and non-religious backgrounds.
places in peaceful parks, GreenAcres aims to help people from all faiths, or none connect, celebrate and remember loved ones in the way they want to. Our aim is to offer – above all – choice, and the chance for that choice to provide sanctuary, connection, and support for generations of families. “All of us in this industry see first-hand the impact of bereavement on families, and it is incumbent on us – as trusted professionals who provide essential services to support those dealing with loss – to ensure that support continues, irrespective of what life (or Covid) throws at us. Like all of us in this sector, dealing with bereaved people is what we do. But the pandemic has made this much tougher – not just for people dealing with the uncertainty it continues to cause, but also for us as service providers. “Certainly, market research within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector suggests that we need to re-think the old demographics. Accenture’s research** has identified four personas that have emerged during the pandemic; four different over-arching ways in which people are responding. These findings reiterate how important it is that we in this sector remain customer focused and recognise that people have different perspectives on life and death, and that they expect and deserve choice.
A shroud burial at GreenAcres Kemnal Park: a biodegradable shroud made from cotton fabric is the preference for people from Muslim faiths, and also a popular option for those who choose a natural burial, or to support the reduction of carbon emissions.
“At GreenAcres, we’re working hard to get a better understanding of our customer needs, and also to support people to realise they do have choice when it comes to planning for the end of life. We know these needs and preferences are often driven by family tradition, by faith or beliefs, or simply by individual mindset.
