West Berkshire Crematorium welcomes new manager

West Berkshire Crematorium has appointed Loraine Beckinsale as its new manager. Beckinsale brings a “wealth” of funeral sector experience to her new role, which she describes as the “missing piece” of her career puzzle. She has previously worked with Obitus, which provides media services to West Berkshire Crematorium, and Co-op Funeral Care, with roles including funeral arranging, funeral director and managing a care centre, responsible for more than 20 funeral homes. West Berkshire Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest owner-operators of crematoria and cemeteries. The group currently includes 40 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within landscaped gardens of remembrance. Beckinsale said: “I am over the moon to be appointed as manager of West Berkshire Crematorium and look forward to being part of this team and part of Westerleigh Group. “My main aim is to ensure that we are working as one team, with every funeral professional who passes through our beautiful crematorium so that, together, we can provide exceptional care to the families we support. It’s important to understand that we don’t have a second chance to get it right for a family.” She stated that she hopes to engage with the local community by hosting a number of open days throughout the year and show the community that the crematorium is a welcoming place despite the very reason for its existence. Beckinsale added: “It still surprises me that there are so many myths concerning what happens behind the scenes at a crematorium. I would like to make days available to welcome visitors for a tour of our crematorium, including the grounds, the chapel and the crematory to explain what we do and how we look after loved ones with exceptional care. “Without doubt, West Berkshire Crematorium is not only beautiful, but provides an oasis of calm the moment you come through the gates. We have everything you could want from a facility which will look after your loved one on its final journey - a large chapel with ample seating and standing room, state-of-the-art media system, and a wide range of visual tribute options, live streaming options, traditional organ availability, a comfortable waiting room, plenty of on-site parking, beautiful grounds but most of all, a team of caring people who will make your loved one’s service uniquely personal.”