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New Natural Death Handbook Awards 2000

On Sunday April 16th 2000, as part of the National Day of the Dead ceremonies (see previous item) organised by the Natural Death Centre, the following eight National Awards (and 32 Regional Awards) were publicly presented.

Best Nature Reserve Ground

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Nature Reserve Ground in the UK goes to Greenhaven Woodland Burial Ground near Rugby (tel 01788 860604), who provide exceptional value and friendly service - a complete funeral on their farm, including the grave, the digging, a cardboard coffin, a tree and collection from London, costs £570.

'A complete funeral on the farm at Greenhaven, near Rugby, costs only £570'

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground North West Region: The Nature Reserve Burial Ground at Saddleworth Cemetery near Oldham (tel 01457 876665).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground North East Region: A. B. Welfare and Wildlife Trust in Harrogate (tel 01423 530900 or 868121).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground in Wales: Woodland Burial Glade at Thornhill Cemetery in Cardiff (tel 029 2062 3294).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground West Midlands Region: Westhope Burial Ground near Craven Arms, Shropshire (tel 01584 861293).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground East Midlands Region: Greenhaven Woodland Burial Ground at New Clarks Farm in Rugby (tel 01788 860604).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground East Anglia Region: Oakfield Wood Green Burial Ground in Manningtree, Essex (tel 01255 880182).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground South West Region: Pontsmill Human Green Burial and Pet Cemetery in Par, Cornwall (tel 01726 813975).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground South Region: The Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground near Christchurch, Dorset (tel 01425 278910).

- Best Nature Reserve Burial Ground in and around London: Parkside Woodland Burial Ground at Parkside Cemetery in Gerards Cross, Buckinghamshire (tel 01753 662426).

Best Cemetery

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Cemetery in the UK goes, along with the crematorium award, to Carlisle. The Bereavement Manager in charge of both places is Ken West (tel 01228 625310) and the services he and his colleagues provide consistently win awards. Ken West has been the key figure in promoting the excellent Charter for the Bereaved, which recognises the need for nature reserve burial grounds and the right of a family not to use a funeral director. It has already been officially adopted by 35 cemeteries or crematoria and needs to be adopted by all of the remainder. The Carlisle Cemetery makes available not only cardboard and regular coffins, but its own woollen shroud. Ken West writes: 'We know that funerals arranged without a funeral director are at least as good, and often better, than those that take the conventional path.'

'The Charter for the Bereaved has already been adopted by 35 cemeteries or crematoria'

- Best Cemetery North West Region: Carlisle Cemetery in Carlisle (tel 01228 625310).

- Best Cemetery North East Region: St Andrews Cemetery in Hexham, Northumberland (tel 07710 053732).

- Best Cemetery in Wales: Wrexham Cemetery in Wrexham (tel 01978 263159).

- Best Cemetery West Midlands Region: Stapenhill Cemetery in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire (tel 01283 508572).

- Best Cemetery East Midlands Region: Luton Church Cemetery in Luton, Bedfordshire (tel 01582 722874).

- Best Cemetery East Anglia Region: Maldon Cemetery in Maldon, Essex (tel 01621 875836).

- Best Cemetery South West Region: North Cemetery in Bournemouth, Dorset (tel 01202 526238).

- Best Cemetery South Region: Forest Row Cemetery in East Sussex (tel 01342 822661).

- Best Cemetery Greater London Region: (All Souls) Cemetery in Kensal Green (tel 020 8969 0152).

Best Crematorium

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Crematorium in the UK goes to the Carlisle Crematorium run by Ken West and his colleagues in Carlisle's Bereavement Services (tel 01228 625310). They offer a reduced fee for those choosing a fuel-saving 'Environmental Cremation', which involves using a cardboard coffin and having the cremation the same day or by the following morning, thus saving on pre-heating of the cremator. They publish excellent guidance for those arranging funerals without funeral directors and can help the public by providing cold storage for the body. They accept a wide variety of body containers from home-made to wicker coffins. They can provide cold storage for the body before the funeral and extra bearers to help the family.

'Carlisle offer a reduced fee for those who choose a fuel-saving Environmental Cremation'

- Best Crematorium North West Region: Carlisle Crematorium in Carlisle (tel 01228 625310).

- Best Crematorium North East Region: Woodlands Crematorium in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire (tel 01724 280289).

- Best Crematorium in Wales: Llwydcoed Crematorium in Aberdare, Mid Glamorgan (tel 01685 8741150).

- Best Crematorium West Midlands Region: Stafford Crematorium in Stafford (tel 01785 242594).

- Best Crematorium East Midlands Region: Mid-Warwickshire Crematorium in Leamington Spa (tel 01926 651418).

- Best Crematorium East Anglia Region: Mintlyn Crematorium in King's Lynn, Norfolk (tel 01553 630533).

- Best Crematorium South West Region: North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple, Devon (tel 01271 345431).

- Best Crematorium South Region: Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, East Sussex (tel 01273 604020).

- Best Crematorium Greater London Region: Hendon Crematorium in Hendon (tel 020 8346 0657).

Best Funeral Shop

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Funeral Shop in the UK goes, as in 1997, to Heaven on Earth in Bristol (tel 0117 926 4999) for their imaginative range of coffin designs and other services.

Best Funeral Director

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Funeral Director in the UK goes to J. E. Gillman & Sons Ltd (tel 020 8672 1557) in Tooting, London SW17. They offer a simple chipboard-based coffin for £45 to families organising a funeral themselves and, as an independent family firm and member of SAIF and NAFD, they provide a superior level of à la carte service.

- Best Funeral Director North West Region: Graham J. Clegg Independent Funeral Service in Liverpool (tel 0151 520 3330).

- Best Funeral Director North East Region: Peace Funerals in Sheffield (tel 0114 253 0505 or 08457 697 822).

- Best Funeral Director in Wales: W. O. Williams in Anglesey (tel 01248 430312).

- Best Funeral Director West Midlands Region: Beechwood Funeral Services in Cheltenham (tel 01242 228208 or 01452 722131).

- Best Funeral Director East Midlands Region: A. Abbott & Sons (Rushden) Ltd in Rushden, Northamptonshire (01933 312142 or 410365).

- Best Funeral Director East Anglia Region: S. Stibbards & Sons Ltd in Southend, Essex (tel 01702 558717).

- Best Funeral Director South West Region: D. Williams in Bideford, Devon (tel 01237 472108).

- Best Funeral Director South Region: Richard T. Adlem & Stephen Beckwith in Salisbury (tel 01725 552309).

- Best Funeral Director Greater London Region: J. E. Gillman & Sons Ltd in Tooting (tel 020 8672 1557).

Best Coffin Manufacturer

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Coffin Manufacturer in the UK goes to Ted Hodge and his firm E. C. Hodge (MF) Ltd (tel 01945 587477). They were the first mainstream funeral suppliers to make a determined attempt to allow the public to buy coffins direct. Their prices start at £88 for a chipboard oak veneer coffin.

Best Cardboard Coffin Supplier

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Cardboard Coffin Supplier in the UK goes to Celtic Casket (tel 01283 521104) who sell a basic brown cardboard coffin in four sizes, with a cremfilm liner and a rigid chipboard base, for £53.50 incl. next day delivery; and also a more expensive white model.

Best Funeral Supplier

The New Natural Death Handbook Award 2000 for the Best Funeral Supplier in the UK goes to Thorley Smith Ltd (tel 01942 243331) who will happily supply the general public with body bags, coffin liners, coffin handles, etc - all at reasonable prices.

In making these Awards, the editorial team relied on their own surveys and investigations and on feedback to the Natural Death Centre from the general public, so as to decide which services were the most helpful, the most innovative and the best value. The New Natural Death Handbook was published by Rider Books on April 16th 2000 (The 4th edition of The Natural Death Handbook was published by Rider Books in November 2003, price £15.50 1st class by phone or online - see details below).

For further information contact the Natural Death Centre, 6 Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, London N4 2BT, UK (tel 0871 288 2098; fax 020 7354 3831; e-mail: rhino@dial.pipex.com; web: www.naturaldeath.org.uk).

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