Darlington funeral director opens chapel for services
A Darlington-based funeral director has opened its chapel to families conducting smaller services.
Saint and Forster Funeral Directors Ltd, of Thompson Street East, has refurbished its offices to create a chapel of rest, where funeral services attended by up to 12 mourners can take place.
One of the key benefits, according to the director of Saint and Forster, Keith Munt, is that the chapel can provide “more intimacy” than experienced in a large church or crematorium chapel, as well as flexibility.
“The service can be as long or as brief as the bereaved family requires, with no time restrictions, and because we are using our own space the chapel can be personalised in any way that the family wants.
“The chapel has been dedicated in peace, love, honour and friendship and can be used by people of any faith or belief, or none. We conduct funerals for people with any religion or spirituality as well as for Humanists and for families with no specific beliefs. Our new chapel is available to all,” said the Darlington funeral director.
The chapel was dedicated by the Rev George Callander, minister of the Open Free Church in Durham and founding president of the Society of Bereavement Practitioners.
Keith added: “The chapel is next to our arranging room, where we can hold small receptions, and we invite families to bring their own food into our premises so that they can celebrate the lives of their loved ones as they would wish to.
“We think the chapel will be welcomed, especially by families of older people whose friends and former colleagues may have already passed away, resulting in a small funeral.”
Image: The dedication of the chapel at Saint and Forster Funeral Directors Ltd, with (L-R) director Malcolm Singleton, the Reverend George Callander, and directors Keith Munt and Jenny Uzzell.
