We’re so pleased to be have been awarded ‘Best Business 2015’ by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce this month, and would like to thank all our friends, families and colleagues for their support and guidance so far!
If you’d like to know more about the award, read on… here’s an extract from the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce’s press release:
Two friends who set-up a South Birmingham start-up company specialising in natural burials have completed their first year of trading by winning a “best business” award.
A Natural Undertaking, run by co-directors Carrie Weekes and Frances Glover, received the accolade in a ceremony at Birmingham Chamber following the completion of a “Get Ready for Business’ programme.
The award was presented by Michael Byrne, from the Chamber’s Business Venture department, a key role of which is to encourage enterprise.
Michael said that since the programme started operating in 2012 almost 90 new businesses had been launched by those who had attended a series of seminars offering a bespoke package of services which included advice on training and business preparation for external funding.
“The programme was delivered in conjunction with Barclays Bank and the National Enterprise Network and was funded by the Regional Growth Fund. During that time, we successfully held 82 seminars, “ he added, “the last of which being the occasion when A Natural Undertaking was presented with the award for being the “Best Business” of 2015.”
Currently, cremations account for 75 percent of all funerals in the UK; however, there are over 250 natural burial grounds, including one at Holberrow Green, near Redditch.
The fledgling business also provides a more traditional funeral service but Frances commented: “ Our aim is to help people through a stage which, while crushingly sad, is, after all, a normal and natural part of life. Ultimately we help people understand the choices that are available so that they can make the best possible decision for them and their families.”
Carrie added: “Providing information and enabling choice forms a huge part of our service. There are too many myths surrounding funerals, all of which create barriers to our being able to grieve well. Knowing you have choices, knowing what those choices are and acting upon them is an important way in which you can feel more in control of a situation that has essentially been thrust upon you.”
- Death is a normal and natural part of life – painful as it is. We’re simply helping people to live through a natural event as smoothly as possible and with as much kindness and humanity as we can give
- The term “funeral” pre-supposes that that’s what people want – we don’t want to pre-suppose anything so we prefer not to place too much emphasis on the word “funeral”
- We will offer ethical and ecological choices as the norm because that’s just natural – but our focus is to ensure you have that choice, not to encourage you down any particular path.
Carrie is a member of the Natural Death Society and has been supported by some of the most innovative and respected funeral professionals including Clandon Wood Natural Burial Reserve, in Surrey, winner of the 2014 Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK award.
Enquiries: www.anaturalundertaking.co.uk/contact
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