Central England Co-operative Funeralcare signs up to be part of Fair Funeral Pledge

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 12/09/2016

Central England Co-operative has signed up to be part of the Fair Funeral Pledge.

The campaign, which was launched in 2014 by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action, encourages funeral businesses to make the most affordable funeral package visible to the public and charge clear prices for goods and services so people know what they are buying.

The pledge was launched after a report by consumer advice specialist Which? highlighted how funerals can be expensive and confusing, with clear, comparable information about costs being hard to find.

Kevin Crute, Head of Funeral at Central England Co-operative, said: “We are very passionate about enhancing memories and love for our families and are always at looking at ways to ensure we are doing the very best for them.

“We understand how difficult losing a loved one can be and this is exactly the reason why we want to make it as easy as possible to support families during these difficult times.

“As part of the Fair Funerals Pledge, all our branches are fully committed to explaining costs and providing a choice of prices.

“For the first time, families at their time of need will be able to access our pricing structure without the need to telephone or pop into a funeral home.

“This sits with our values of being open and honest as well as enabling digitally confident families to access price online, meeting their expectations and enabling them to have a discussion about cost and choice in the comfort of their own home.”

The campaign aims to tackle funeral poverty at its root, recognising that anyone grieving the loss of a loved-one deserves an equal opportunity to arrange a meaningful, affordable funeral.

The pledge ensures customers are given the best advice available at a time when they may be at their most vulnerable.

It also means that a full price list of the services offered by Central England Co-operative Funeralcare is now published online.

Statistics show that over 500 funeral directors have signed up to the scheme since its launch two years ago.

More information on Central England Co-operative Funeralcare is available by visiting www.centralengland.coop/funeral-services or calling 0800 454 552.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. The company’s funeral business consist of over 120 funeral homes across 16 counties, 10 florists, masonry production and administration, Bretby Crematorium and Terry Smiths coffin factory.

Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store and funeral home development programme for 2015/16.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, @mycooplife and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Jo Baldock at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop