Allwood funeral directors are available to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
You will need to collect the medical death certificate which you will then need to take to the registrar. You will also need to make initial contact with a funeral director. If you are concerned please call us day or night, the early stages of the loss of a loved one are the most confusing and emotional, we are here to help with a 24 hour service.
If the death has occurred at home, the GP will issue the medical death certificate. They will either give this to you directly or you may need to collect it from the surgery. If the death occurred in a hospital you will be given the certificate by the bereavement office. For more information see our website pages, in the what happens next section. Click Here for More Info
You may be eligible to make a claim for assistance with the cost of the funeral, please review our help with funeral costs page Click Here for More Info
Yes, if the person is to be buried then you can leave almost anything in the coffin. If a person is being cremated there are rules regarding items placed in coffins. As a general guide aerosols, alcohol, watches with batteries or glass are not allowed as these can damage the equipment at the crematorium. Photographs, cards and letters are obviously welcomed. If you are in any doubt about the items you wish to place in the coffin please ask us.
Yes, our chapel of rest is available to you, family and friends any time during office hours, but please telephone first to make an appointment.
Children are allowed to visit the chapel of rest as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Children may also attend the funeral. If you wish a child to travel in a limousine then they must be in the appropriate child seat. Unfortunately we can no longer allow children to sit on other passengers' laps and a child will count as one of the passengers. If you need any clarification on this subject, please call we are only too happy to answer any questions you may have.
A funeral is a highly personal and emotional time, and sometimes a family will have specific requirements that will we strive to fulfil. This can include a particular piece of music, an arrangement of flowers or even a particular vehicle to transport the your loved one. Whatever your individual requirements are, we will do our very best to accommodate your wishes.
Funeral directors provide a variety of services to help the bereaved through a difficult time. They make arrangements for the transportation of the body, handle all necessary paperwork, and guide the family through funeral choices and any other matters that need to be decided upon. They are care givers and administrators, with the experience and compassion to help families through the entire process.
Yes, if you would like a favourite piece of music played either entering or leaving the chapel, or even during the service this can be arranged for you.
Yes, we will gladly arrange with a charity or organization of your choice to send any donations that are received in memory of a loved one. When all donation monies have been sent we will write to you with the total amount sent, plus a list of names of those who made donations.
We will be able to advise when after the funeral the cremated remains will be available for collection. When you are planning to collect the cremated remains it is helpful if you telephone the office beforehand so that we can ensure everything is ready when you arrive. Please remember that we can only hand the cremated remains to the person who arranged the funeral. If the person who collects the cremated remains is not the person who arranged the funeral then we will need either a letter to confirm that we can hand the remains to that person or to be able to telephone the person who made the arrangements.
There are a number of options available to you. Firstly cremated remains can be scattered in the crematoriums garden of rest either in the presence of the family or just in the presence of the crematorium staff. Secondly you can instruct us to make arrangements with the crematorium for the cremated remains to be interred either in a cremation plot or a family grave if one is available. Thirdly, cremated remains can be removed from the crematorium by ourselves on the families behalf and returned back to a family where you may wish to keep them at home, or take them to a special place that was personal to that person.
Our invoice is sent out about a week to ten days after the funeral and we request payment within a month of receipt. We do appreciate that some estates take longer than others to settle. If you expect there to be a delay in making payment just keep us informed and if you put the account into the hands of a solicitor we ask that you let us know which solicitor is dealing with your affairs. Funeral payments can be made directly from the deceased's bank or building society account on production of the invoice and death certificate to the relevant bank or building society without having to go through probate.
We can arrange for an existing headstone or memorial to be moved for a further burial to take place in the grave. If you would like to discuss either an added inscription, a new headstone or memorial or the renovation of an existing one, please contact us. Renovation is normally carried out when new inscriptions are added. Clear estimates are always given before any work is undertaken.
