Traditional Funeral Arrangements

Civil Funerals

Humanist Funerals

Low Cost Funerals

Repatriation

Pre-Planning

Civil Funerals

Avril West is a Civil Funeral Celebrant and Funeral Director working with Colliers since 2004. In October 2005 she attended a Civil Funeral Celebrant's training course in Cambridgeshire, England and passed the examination to gain a Certificate in Civil Funeral Celebrancy.

A civil ceremony provides a service to our clients who wish to have a funeral ceremony built around the wishes of the deceased and their family rather than a religion-based “traditional” funeral. Avril will spend whatever length of time is necessary with the family creating a service consisting of music and/or poetry readings with special memories for the family, perhaps a hymn and/or prayer and a suitable committal. With the family's help, she will write a tribute to the deceased telling his/her “life story” and relate experiences and qualities to capture the essence and enduring spirit of the deceased. The tribute is then given to an immediate family member for approval to ensure all the facts are correct. After the ceremony, a copy of the tribute is given to the family to keep.

When all this is in place, Avril will then conduct the ceremony at our funeral home, a crematorium or other suitable venue chosen by the family which will be followed by burial or cremation.