Pure Cremation appoints former Co-op director to lead operations team

Pure cremation has announced that David Collingwood, the former director of Funerals at the Co-op joined the firm earlier this year to oversee its ever-growing operations team.

The firm said Collingwood has spent more than 35 years in the profession, overseeing thousands of funerals and is “looking forward” to bringing his experience to this new style of service.

He said: “Coming from a company steeped in tradition, joining Pure Cremation is an exciting move. For me, it’s all about choice. It’s so important that people have more choice about how they plan, organise and pay for the funeral of a loved one.”

Pure Cremation launched six years ago with the aim of offering a “straightforward and affordable” alternative to traditional funerals – direct cremation.

The business said it has seen “exponential” year-on-year growth since launch, something that was accelerated further by the Covid pandemic because fewer people were able to attend funerals and many families opted for a direct cremation instead.

Bryan Powell, CEO of Pure Cremation, added: “We are delighted to have attracted a funeral professional of David’s calibre and core values to this critical position. It sends a clear signal about our high standards and care for the customer.”