Yorkshire independent funeral director elected as SAIF president

Mark Horton, of Hull-based Hortons Funeral Directors, has been elected president of SAIF, the UK’s largest trade association dedicated to protecting the interests of independent funeral directors and their customers.

The SAIF said Horton, who launched his company in 2009, has developed a reputation in the East Riding of Yorkshire for running a “friendly, family-run and community-centred funeral directors, which brings local families together each year for a popular annual remembrance service”.

Replacing outgoing SAIF president Jo Parker, Horton was elected at SAIF’s AGM weekend in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent between March 2 and 5 and will serve until March 2024.

The event also saw the election of Scottish member Declan Maguire as SAIF first vice president and SAIF second vice president, West Midlands funeral director Ross Hickton.

During the coming year, Hortnon has pledged to focus on “communicating the invaluable work of independent funeral directors to ensure they continue to be appreciated locally and nationally at a time of great change”.

He said: “Independent funeral directors have been at the forefront of innovation and transformation across the profession in recent decades and I’ve no doubt that this trend will continue for many years to come. However, our sector is threatened by profit-hungry players who want to dupe the public into thinking that bereavement can be reduced to an online click and collect-type service.

“If this trend continues unabated it will have a terrible impact on mental health and it’s our job as independent funeral directors to educate communities and governments about the importance of gathering and remembering when a loved one dies.”

He added: “I’m looking forward to working closely with the SAIF leadership team on this issue and have no doubt that we can secure a bright future for independent funeral directors and the families we serve.”