Charter for the Bereaved

Torfaen County Borough Council are proud to have adopted the ICCM (Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management) Charter for the Bereaved on 1st January 2003. The charter is recognition of a council’s commitment to continual improvements for the bereaved. The charter defines the rights of every individual who experiences bereavement, it recognises their needs and rights and seeks to support the bereaved in the standards of the service provided. A summary can be found in the Charter for the Bereaved - The Guiding Principles or the full charter can be found on the ICCM website.

We understand that it can be difficult to prepare for and plan a funeral. Below is some information and documents that you may find helpful.

Arranging a funeral is an emotional time, and there are a lot of decisions that have to be made as to the structure of the funeral. It may be that the person never discussed their funeral wishes with their family which will then place added pressure on the person having to make the funeral arrangements. Often a person will write their funeral wishes into their Will; however, it is usual that the Will isn’t read until after the funeral and this can lead to funeral wishes not being carried out. As such, the ICCM have provided templates entitled Funeral Pre-arrangement Details and a Living Will. It is a way for a person to put their wishes concerning their funeral in place and once completed the whereabouts and contents of the document should be made known to the person who will be arranging the funeral when needed.

In recent years environmental issues in everyday life are gathering more and more attention. This is also happening where funerals are concerned. A few areas that are being looked at are embalming, environmental issues and coffins.

Should you have any queries specifically concerning the Charter for the Bereaved please contact the Cemetery Office or the ICCM directly at iccmjulie@gmail.com or on 020 8989 4661.