Albert Marsh funeral director officially gains industry diploma

Albert Marsh Funeral Directors in Wareham, Dorset, has announced that funeral operative Oliver Oddy has formally gained a diploma in funeral directing while working. 

Having begun work experience at 16, now 30-year-old Oddy joined the company full-time after his A-levels and has worked there ever since. The qualification took two years to complete and included coursework and an interview.  

Oddy began his career as a funeral operative before moving into a director role. Although newly qualified, he has carried out funeral director duties for several years.

He said: “My father worked here as a bearer and when I was 16 I came for some work experience – and I never really left. It is a special job with a great responsibility and that is something the company really emphasises to the staff.

“Albert Marsh has a long history but we continually change to meet the needs of people, which are always changing. While tradition is important we want to be able to offer anything requested and maintain the very high levels of service. It is a wonderful company to work for because it really invests in its staff.”

The company is part of Dorset-based Douch Family Funeral Directors, which encourages staff development through formal qualifications.

Emma Byron, branch manager at Albert Marsh, added: “Ollie has been an invaluable part of the team since he was a teenager. The diploma formally qualifies him for something he was already doing with great skill and understanding.”