Helping you make an informed choice

When arranging a funeral service many people look for environmentally friendly options. But if the information you require is not available how do you know you are making the right decision?

For example, many “traditional” coffins have gold, silver or bronze coloured plastic handles. It is believed that up to 3 million of these single use plastic handles are used each year. Alternative handles, such as rope or wood, are available, but they are not always listed within a coffin range.

However, alternatives are available for both traditional and more modern styles of coffin and casket. Accordingly we are asking for all in funeral service to ensure that this open “informed choice” is available to all when arranging a funeral service.

To play our part in helping everyone to make an informed choice we now offer a new complete range of environmentally friendly coffins, caskets, and shrouds. For all coffins and caskets our website and literature will provide details of materials used and where it was weaved/made/manufactured. We believe that this will allow a greater understanding of not only the coffins available, but also the environmental impact they may have.

Furthermore, as supporting the bereaved and fighting funeral poverty is key to our ethos, we do make sure that our coffins, caskets and shrouds are fairly priced as well as being as green as possible.

Our range includes Cardboard, Bamboo, Willow and Woollen, as well as the Earthcare Coffin made predominantly using recycled paper and bark timber from FSC forests. We can also offer additional coffins upon request and are happy to provide the green credentials for all.

Whilst we offer a comprehensive range we do appreciate that you may also have your own family funeral director that you may wish to use. Many funeral directors offer a comprehensive range of coffins and caskets and will be happy to help meet your requests. We allow all environmentally friendly coffins in our burial grounds.

We would welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have. Our team are available on (0116) 222 0247 or [email protected]

A Meaningful Direct Cremation

Whilst Direct Cremation offers numerous advantages, such as cost and simplicity, it has been rightfully noted that an unattended cremation may not allow the opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one. We share this concern and would never wish for anyone to have regrets. That’s why we always provide Direct Cremation services followed by a memorial service or celebration of life at our natural burial grounds.

A Direct Cremation can be arranged with The Natural Burial Company and we will then conduct an interment of the cremated remains at the natural burial ground on a day and time convenient to you. This interment can be conducted with tributes, music, and readings. In fact everything that you would want to ensure a truly personalised goodbye. This can also include having a picnic at the natural burial ground if you wish. Many find this a relaxed and rewarding way to share stories and memories with family and friends. Furthermore, we have no time constraints at our natural burial grounds, so you don’t have to worry about being moved on to accommodate another service.

Furthermore, to ensure a natural legacy all of our Direct Cremation services include an interment at the natural burial ground, with three trees planted for each service conducted – one on the grave and two on another area of a natural burial ground.

We can provide shelters, chairs, quality blue-tooth speakers and refreshments. Our team prepare everything and remain present at all times, but you can also conduct everything, including the interment of your loved one and the planting of the tree on the plot, yourselves.

The Natural Burial Company team care deeply for the bereaved and the environment, and we will always do what we can to ensure a meaningful, personal goodbye. Further details are available here Direct Cremation – Direct Natural Funerals (funeralsdirect.co.uk) alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or on (0116) 222 0247.

Service, Care, and Value for Money

You may have seen the recent SunLife Cost of Dying 2024 Report*, this provides a breakdown of average costs for funerals, including direct cremations and direct burials, nationwide.

At The Natural Burial Company we are concerned at these findings. Our ethos is simple, Care for the Environment, Care for the Bereaved, and Fighting Funeral Poverty. Accordingly whilst not only ensuring we provide environmentally friendly funerals to encourage nature and leave a natural legacy, we also ensure our pricing is fair and provides excellent value for money.

The SunLife survey states that the average cost of a “basic funeral” which includes a limousine and a midrange coffin is £4,141. A rise of 4.7% from the previous year.

The average cost listed by SunLife for a burial service is £5,077. For comparison a burial service provided by The Natural Burial Company, with a comparable coffin, new grave and interment fees (but no limousine) is £3,030 at our Prestwold and Scraptoft Natural Burial Grounds, and £3,200 at our Wrottesley Park Natural Burial Ground. Even adding the cost of an external celebrant (average £220) the Natural Burial Funeral Service costs £1,827 less than the average (£1,657 less at Wrottesley Park).

For Direct Burial the difference is even more stark, with the average cost listed by SunLife as £1,657 without third party fees such as the plot. The cost of the Natural Burial Company Direct Burial is £1,740, which includes the plot and all fees.

The cost listed for Direct Cremation is £1,498. This is below the Natural Burial Company cost. However, The Natural Burial Company charges include plot and interment fees, and the planting of 3 trees. The price is £1,750 with an unattended interment or £1,980 with a full graveside service/celebration of life, including tree planting.

We understand that money is tight for so many people and we want to do what we can to help at this most difficult of times. Accordingly, you are welcome to contact our team at any time on (0116) 222 0247 or by email [email protected]

* sunlife.co.uk/siteassets/documents/cost-of-dying/sunlife-cost-of-dying-report-2024.pdf/

Prices correct at 25th January 2024.

The Good Funeral Awards 2023

The Natural Burial Company are proud to announce that we have once again been nominated in the highly prestigious Good Funeral Awards.

This year we have to date been nominated in three categories – Best Burial Ground, Best Innovative Service (for our Direct Natural Burials), and Best Bereavement Awareness Support (for Wrottesley Park Environment Day). The nominations remain open until 31st July so we may also receive further nominations. This is a great honour for The Natural Burial Company as we care deeply for providing the best possible service to the bereaved and the environment.

We are extremely pleased that our new Direct Funeral Services, Direct Natural Burial and Direct Cremation with Natural Burial of Cremated Remains, have had such a positive impact. We offer these services to help provide cost-effective, environmentally friendly services whilst also ensuring the same high level of care and support from our team.

We have been successful in previous years, winning Best Bereavement Awareness Day in 2019 and Burial Ground of the Year in 2021. We have also been honoured to have been nominated for awards in 2018 and 2022.

The Good Funeral Awards are presented annually in conjunction with the National Association of Green Funeral Directors, and nominations are received from those involved in funeral service and the general public. Accordingly, anyone can nominate those they believe have provided exceptional service in a number of categories covering all aspects of funeral service. This years event is being held on Saturday 23rd September at the National Conference Centre, Solihull, and further details of the event and how to nominate can be found here Home (agfdgoodfuneralawards.co.uk)

Our Burial Grounds – Prestwold

Serving Loughborough, Charnwood, and all of the East Midlands. The Natural Burial Company provide Direct Cremations with natural burial of cremated remains, Direct Burial and full personalised funeral services at Prestwold Natural Burial Ground.

Situated in a quiet rural location, Prestwold was one of the very first natural burial grounds in the Midlands, opening in 1999. As such, many areas are now beautiful woodland as the trees planted in remembrance over the years have matured. This ensures a wonderful natural habitat for many forms of wildlife. To further support biodiversity other areas are left to nature, ensuring many benefits to the environment.

Recently a beautiful new area has been opened. The Orchards provides wonderful views of the countryside in a tranquil setting. Full interments and burials of Cremated Remains can be conducted here, with shelters and chairs available for a complete funeral service or celebration of life to be conducted. Refreshments and a Bluetooth speaker can also be provided free of charge.

Plots can be chosen and paid for in advance and our team are available to meet at the natural burial ground to answer your questions and explain the many options available.

For further information, or to arrange an appointment to meet, please telephone (0116) 222 0247 or email [email protected] our team would welcome the opportunity to help in any way that they can.

Our Burial Grounds – Wrottesley Park

For Direct Cremation with natural burial of cremated remains, Direct Burial, and fully personalised funeral services and Celebrations of Life in the West Midlands we offer the tranquillity and beauty of Wrottesley Park Natural Burial Ground.

Wrottesley Park is situated just outside of Wolverhampton, close to the villages of Perton, Tettenhall, and Codsall, with easy access to the A41 and Telford.

Once part of the historic Wrottesley Hall parkland, Wrottesley Park has now been returned to its former glory, providing a beautiful area within the woodland.

The burial ground is relatively new, opening in 2015, although the beautiful mix of new and mature trees, including two particularly outstanding Oaks, and meadows provides a perfect setting for nature and biodiversity.

As well as full and cremated remains interments there is a special area within the woodland for those who may wish to scatter ashes. A Memorial Tree area is also available with a variety of memorial trees available to provide a natural legacy for loved ones.

Unlike many traditional cemeteries in the area, there are no additional charges for those who live outside of the Wolverhampton, and those with all traditions and beliefs are welcome. There are no time constraints on services, and personalisation such as picnics and music are encouraged.

For further information on the available services, or to arrange a visit, please contact the Natural Burial Company team on (0116) 222 0247 or by email [email protected]

Services for All

We not only provide direct cremation and burial services, The Natural Burial Company also help support full funeral services. Our Family Led Services are arranged to ensure complete care and personalisation whilst also ensuring costs are kept to a minimum.

Our experienced team are able to provide a full range of services for those who may not wish to use a traditional funeral director. We offer an extensive range of coffins, caskets and shrouds, made from materials such as cardboard, bamboo and willow. Family and friends can fully support and truly personalise the service by carrying and lowering the coffin.

The service itself can be as traditional or personal as you wish. Our team will help support and guide you throughout all of the arrangements and make suggestions to ensure your final goodbye is exactly as you want it to be. Services can include music (live or via bluetooth speakers), songs, poems, readings, or whatever you believe is appropriate. A toast can be made at the graveside and picnics can be arranged. We do not have time constraints on our services and we only hold one a day at each burial ground so there is no requirement to leave to make way for another service.

All of our services are conducted ensuring our key ethos of care for the bereaved, care for the environment, and fighting funeral poverty. So you know we will be doing our best for you whilst caring for nature and supporting biodiversity.

Our prices for a complete Family Led Service, including all aspects of the funeral arrangements, service, grave and coffin start from £2,700 at our Prestwold (Loughborough) and Scraptoft (Leicester) Natural Burial Grounds, and £2,870 at Wrottesley Park (Wolverhampton) Natural Burial Ground. For further details please contact us on (0116) 222 0247 or by email [email protected]

Tree Planting in Memory

A key aspect of our direct cremation service is to plant three trees for each cremation conducted. One tree is planted on the grave and two others in another location. This will be at one of our burial grounds, or on land close by.

We believe that it is vital to care for the environment as best we can, whilst also providing a beautiful legacy for your loved one. Safe in the knowledge that the trees will grow, support nature and encourage biodiversity.

We have now commenced tree planting for this year. Planting trees at The Orchards, our new natural burial ground at Prestwold, near Loughborough. The initial trees planted are cherries and have been especially chosen to ensure a beautiful display of spring blossom in future years.

Service and Value

Direct cremation continues to attract media attention. Up to 18% of funerals in the UK are now direct services and there is every possibility that this style of funeral will continue to grow.

The BBC today provide interesting reading regarding this option Cost of living: ‘I don’t want a funeral, it’s a waste of money’ – BBC News and argue the case both for direct services, and for the traditional funeral service. We agree that everyone should have a choice and no one size fits all. However, what we do believe is important, is ensuring that the quality of care and service is always the same. The best it can be. That’s why the same team who provide our Family Led Services also arrange and care for our Direct Cremation and Burial services.

Our team are experienced and dedicated to supporting the bereaved and the environment. Our arrangers, Christopher and Nina, have 39 and 23 years funeral service experience, and are passionate about making a difference.

Price-wise, our Direct Cremation Service with Natural Burial of Cremated Remains is available from £1,750 and our Direct Natural Burial Service £1,740. For those who prefer a more traditional funeral service, our charges for a complete service (including plot, digging, all arrangements, a cardboard coffin, removal, care, transport, and our team on the day of the service) are available from £2,700. This is a quite some saving when considering the average funeral cost of £4,056.

Finally, we do understand that natural funeral services are not for everyone, and that after a direct cremation some families may wish to to have the ashes returned rather than being buried in a natural burial ground. If this is you, please ensure that you are satisfied with the company you are using and the service they provide. There are many excellent funeral directors who provide caring, quality service for a sensible price. Please don’t be afraid to ask questions, or get a friend to do this for you. The best funeral directors will always be open and answer any questions that you may have.

Caring for the Environment and the Bereaved

Many people are understanding the benefits of direct cremation. A more secular society, financial constraints, and the desire for more personal celebrations of life are some of the many reasons this service is requested. However, it is also true that some are concerned with the environmental disadvantages of cremation.

Therefore, we believe it appropriate to provide a quality low cost direct service, whilst also ensuring care for the environment. We provide this in three ways.

Our direct cremation service also includes an interment of the cremated remains at one of our natural burial grounds. This can involve a full celebration of life with music, a picnic, or whatever is most appropriate for your loved one. What’s more, three trees are planted for each direct cremation, one with the cremated remains and two others at the natural burial ground. This ensures we help give back to the environment, as well as ensuring a beautiful natural legacy.

We also provide a direct natural burial service. The service is unattended but allows a beautiful place to visit and the knowledge that your loved one is resting with nature.

For those who require a more traditional burial service we also provide our Family Led burial services, providing a caring, complete funeral service or celebration of life at the natural burial ground. As our passion is to do our best to support the bereaved we provide these services at reasonable cost. We strongly believe that at such a difficult time, having to worry about funeral costs is a further concern that creates additional stress.

You are welcome to contact our team at any time for further details on how we look to support the environment and care for the bereaved in everything that we do.