By Lucy Porter
who is a forward thinking funeral director and the owner of H.Porter & Sons
Many funeral directors now offer free bereavement counselling and support, whether that’s through a scheme like SAIF Care, or via a homegrown initiative. It’s our sector’s version of after sales care, but the focus is on helping people to heal.
We offer a library of useful books about bereavement which are loaned to families for free. Often reading about the feelings you’re experiencing is incredibly helpful and we stock a range of books for grown-ups and children to help them understand grief.
We can offer guidance through the bureaucracy of loss. There’s lots to do when someone dies, from registering the death through to making arrangements for their estate. Many people don’t know where to start but we do and we’re happy to help for free.
We can act as neutral arbiters when families have differences of opinion. Funerals are often a fraught time for families and all sorts of tensions rise to the surface. We’ll always try to help people to achieve outcomes that work around potential flashpoints and disagreements.
We encourage people to discuss death. Even our sector can be notoriously reluctant to use words like death and dying. But it’s important that we do and that’s why we do a lot of work in our community to raise awareness of the benefits of talking about death by taking part in initiatives like Dying Matters Awareness Week.
About Lucy Porter
Lucy is the owner and director of H. Porter & Sons. She’s the sixth generation manager of the family-run firm, which is based in Stourbridge, West Midlands. Lucy is a forward-thinking funeral director who has developed a business that prides itself on delivering an excellent customer experience and outstanding value. She is also passionate about minimising the firm’s impact on the environment and being a force for good in her local community.
