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APPG for funerals and bereavement launch annual report in Parliament
The APPG Annual Report 2021 The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Funerals and Bereavement launched its inaugural Annual Report on Monday 6 September in the House of Commons. In attendance were ICCM President Heather White, ICCM Chair of the Board of Directors Martin Birch, ICCM Director Mohamed Omer, and ICCM Chief Executive Julie Dunk. The ICCM are members of the Deceased Management Advisory Group (DMAG), an umbrella organisation representing those within the funeral and deathcare sector, and supporters of the APPG. Also present at the launch were representatives from faith communities, bereavement charities and Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum.
Chair of the APPG, Sir John Hayes CBE MP, thanked those working in the sector for their compassion, dedication and resilience over the past eighteen months. Sir John acknowledged the funeral and bereavement sector’s response to the pandemic and highlighted some key issues the APPG will be focusing on throughout the year.
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James Chorley, the youngest funeral director in the UK, and his mentor, lead funeral director at Crescent Funeral Services Simon Helliar-Moore, addressed Parliamentarians and reflected on their experiences throughout the pandemic. James, who was inspired to join the profession to follow in the footsteps of his late father, graduated from the Independent Funeral Director’s (IFD) College in 2020.
COMMENTING Sir John Hayes MP said:
“Our Annual Report examines the sector’s response to COVID-19, in its role as a critical responder, but also explores the need to address outdated laws and regulations, brought to the fore by the pandemic. This will allow the sector to better respond to future national emergencies”.
“The ICCM and DMAG said the report also shines a light on the impact of COVID-19 on bereaved people, and the isolation felt by many families. Moving forward, we will use this report to further engage with Parliamentarians to advance our policy priorities”.
A copy of the APPG Annual Report for 2021 can be found on the ICCM website at https://www.iccm-uk.com/iccm/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/APPG-2020-2021-Annual-Report.pdf.
Sir John Hayes launches the report
