Funeral Manager, David Wilson, who was born and raised in Beverley has served bereaved families in the town for over 40 years.
From their premises in Minster Moorgate, funerals have continued to go ahead throughout the pandemic. While they have also continued even during the lockdown periods.
However, in the 148 years that Frank Stephenson & Son has existed they say that they don’t think they have experienced quite so many challenges. Yet despite this, they continue to ensure their clients have a respectful and dignified funeral.
Here, he discusses how the past year has affected our community and the impact Covid-19 has had on funerals.
Our dedicated team can take care of all aspects of the service and I continue to work my fellow funeral directors, Paul and Kevin, who are supported by Kim, Vanessa, Colin, John, Peter and Nick. As local people, we understand our client’s needs and the importance of our shared traditions.
How funerals have changed
During 2020 we have been continually adapting the service we offer. We have a responsibility to comply with changing government guidance. That said, as a funeral business, we also want to give our clients the service they want where possible.
The biggest change has been in the number of people who can attend. At the start of the pandemic, funerals were restricted to just 10 attendees. However, more and more crematoria and other funeral venues have adapted their spaces. Now up to 30 people can attend while maintaining social distancing.
Sadly, it isn’t possible for everyone that may want to attend the funeral to physically be there on the day. An initiative to help with this that has been welcomed by many families is the use of specialist technology. Live webcasts and the ability to record the funeral mean they can watch the service and pay their respects even if they are ‘shielding’, unable to travel or living in another part of the world.
Frank Stephenson & Son are able to advise you on what your options are. They are still able to provide many of the most important elements of a funeral. Your loved one can be buried or cremated. They are also able to arrange flowers and a hearse for your loved one. While you can still have readings and music during the service.
Bereaved families can now register the death by telephone rather than visit the Registry Office and we continue to work closely with GP’s, Celebrants, religious leaders and others.
Getting to the funeral
We are really happy to say that we can continue to provide our limousine service. To protect both our colleagues and our clients we have installed a Perspex partition between the chauffeur and passengers to provide a safe environment. Each limousine is available for family members from the same household with a maximum of six people per vehicle.
Making arrangements
We can see people face to face at our premises or converse using Skype or Face Time but sadly we cannot make arrangements at someone’s home. However, we still encourage people to do as much as they can over the phone or by email.
How To Contact Frank Stephenson & Son
Frank Stephenson & Son is part of Dignity, a network of some of the UK’s finest funeral directors. If you have questions you want to ask out of hours you can visit the Dignity website where we have a number of Frequently Asked Questions or you can call our 24-hour client service centre: 0800 456 1047.
If you have been affected by Covid-19 or are self-isolating we have procedures that will allow us to arrange a funeral with you, but please call or email to contact us.
