For many years, investors, both domestic and overseas have found bulk buying UK funeral directors to be extremely profitable. In recent times, venture capital companies have invested significant funds in to local, online and remote funeral companies that you will see frequently promoting 'low price' funerals on TV.

There are a number of reasons for the recent increase in the visibility of the option and sadly the main driver was the restrictions imposed by CoVid-19. We can be fairly sure that during that period of time a great many of us missed the opportunity to gather with family and friends to celebrate the life of someone no longer with us.

I was recently asked to write an article for the Association of Christian counsellor’s magazine on the subject of caring for people in the immediate aftermath of a death by suicide.

I concluded the article with a paragraph devoted to the way in which a death by suicide frequently affects funeral staff who are supporting the grieving family.

Quite recently, Abbey directors, Chris and Jim Parker, embarked on a short “staycation” through Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Hampshire. A real bucket list holiday which include some of the places they had wanted to go to, but never quite made it.

Having read this report my initial thoughts are that the independent sector was not properly represented in this report. Independent Funeral Directors are responsible for carrying out around 60% of funerals in the UK and, thus, represent a substantial part of the profession.