INTRODUCTION

We are often requested to give information about cremations and their arrangement. This can be difficult because many correspondents know little about cremation in general and do not always make it clear whether they intend to use a funeral director or not. Other requests are about making funerals less formal and more a celebration of the life of the deceased. More recently, concern about the environmental impact of cremation has increased interest in this aspect.

In response to these requests, the enclosed notes set out the routine followed by a funeral director using our services, to which matters of interest to all the bereaved are added. This, it is hoped, will help the bereaved understand their rights and complete as little or as much of the funeral arrangement as they wish, even to carrying out the funeral without a funeral director.

The completion of these notes is intended to widen choice and help the bereaved and others obtain a satisfying funeral. Sunderland City Council does not wish to promote any particular type of arrangement or choice and it is hoped that these notes do not imply this. The Council does not provide a funeral directing service and cannot collect bodies and convey them to the crematorium.

Funerals can be arranged from anywhere in the country without difficulty, although the distance can increase costs. If you use a funeral director, you can choose one from your locality or alternatively, contact one in Sunderland. Some funeral directors are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (N.A.F.D.) and have a Code of Practice. Under this code. they should offer you a price list, at your request.

LOCATION

The crematorium is entered from Chester Road and is situated in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery. Please note that the postal address, and the office at which you can make funeral arrangements is:

COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL SERVICES
CEMETERIES OFFICE
BOX 107
CIVIC CENTRE
SUNDERLAND
SR2 7DN

(The Cemeteries reception is located in Entrance 6)
Tel: 0191 5531687 Fax: 0191 5531688

PROVISIONAL BOOKING OF CREMATION

You can contact us using the above telephone number in normal office hours

Please state that you require a cremation (not a burial) booking.

The provisional booking ensures that a day and time is reserved for your funeral arrangement, so that all other aspects can be organised.

Services times commence at 30 minute intervals as follows

The time above is when you will arrive at the chapel entrance, ready to begin the service.

Your booking notice should allow sufficient time to obtain medical forms, etc. prior to the service - a period of 3 days is usually sufficient. If the death is reported to the Coroner or occurs at a bank: holiday, more time may be required.

The information you need to give over the telephone is as follows:

i ) Planned date of the funeral

ii) Planned time of the funeral

iii) Name of deceased

iv) Funeral directors name, or your name and telephone number if not using a funeral director.

The above is the minimum required, you can add the following details if you know them. Otherwise, you will notify us of these details on the forms you will provide subsequently. All the forms are available from our offices.

v ) Religious or secular service

vi) Full service or Committal (see "The Committal" later in these notes).

vii) Music (see "Music" later in these notes).

viii) Final placement of cremated remains (see same section later in notes)

Please repeat the funeral booking time with whoever answers the telephone, to ensure the correct day and time are reserved for you.

Now that a provisional booking is made a series of arrangements must be made as soon as possible. These may look difficult but they soon fall into place as you progress.

STATUTORY FORMS

The is most important to ensure that the required forms are prepared, which are as follows:

1 ) NOTICE OF CREMATION (The "Pink" form)*

This form gives us all the information we require in writing. It confirms any details missing from your telephone booking. The details that follow in this document will help you complete this form.

2) FORM "A" APPLICATION FOR CREMATION*

This form must be completed by the nearest surviving relative or executor. If not, a reason why some other person has applied must be given. The details required are quite straightforward and should pose no difficulties. A householder known to the applicant must countersign the form.

*These forms can be collected from our offices, or the crematorium. or sent by post.

3) FORMS B & C (& F) MEDICAL FORMS

You must notify the deceased's doctor, who attended their last illness and tell them you are arranging a cremation. Whether a GP or hospital doctor, they will obtain these forms and complete them for you. The completed forms B & C will cost about £89.00 . On some occasions, the doctor will only need to complete form B if he/she knows the results of a post-mortem. This will reduce the cost of the forms by half. These doctors forms are printed by the council. as a double page spread, with form F on the back page. We will complete form F after you have passed the completed forms B & C to us.

If any of the doctors report the death to the Coroner, he or she may issue a certificate for cremation which overrules the need for forms B & C. This usually necessitates a post-mortem being organised and/or an inquest. Reporting the death in this way is quite usual and you should not be alarmed. If such a certificate is issued (free of charge) you will not need to pay for the doctors forms B & C as previously outlined. The Coroners Officer (often a police officer) or other staff will keep you informed of progress by the Coroner.

4) REGISTRARS CERTIFICATE

This will be required, when a coroners or certificate is not issued. You will need to visit the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the district where the deceased died. The Registrar may have restricted opening hours, so please check. The Registrar will issue a Certificate for Burial or Cremation, which you should pass to us as soon as possible. In Scotland, you will require an "Extract of an Entry in a Register of Deaths, from a Registrar". This will allow the body to be taken into England for cremation at Sunderland. You will be charged a small fee for this certificate. When we receive this certificate from you, we will take it to the Sunderland Registrars and obtain a "Certificate of no liability to Register". This will allow us to carry out the cremation. We will return the original "Extract" to you after the cremation.

This will complete the legal requirements and you must now consider organising the funeral.

COFFIN

With cremation, a coffin is essential to allow us to place the body in the cremator. The base of the coffin must be hard and smooth to enable it to be placed in a cremator.

The options are as follows:

1) You can purchase a standard coffin, from a funeral director or from ourselves. All standard coffins are made of chipboard with approved veneers and plastics for cremation purposes.

2) You can construct your own coffin, using chipboard or wood. The materials you use must be suitable for cremation and chipboard is generally preferred. Ferrous screws are acceptable in small numbers, and wood braces will give strength but must not be placed on the underside. No heavy metals, PVC or plastics generally, should be used. Handles are useful but not strictly necessary.

New coffins, often of a "green" design are coming on the market. Three types of cardboard coffin are available for cremation. These generally preclude plastics and thereby reduce emissions from the process. Artists are also decorating coffins, although this must be compatible with cremation. Gloss or extensive paint finishes are not acceptable. Contact us for details of coffins in stock. The coffin should have the full name of the deceased displayed, either as a plate, a card, or painted or written on the lid or sides. As fluid can leak from the body, absorbent cloth or cotton wadding may be required.

The maximum width of coffins. for access into the cremator is 2' 11".(89cm)

TRANSPORTING THE BODY

Although you may be able to hire a hearse from a local funeral director, historically, this has been difficult. The transport of a coffin. with or without the body, requires a van or estate car for convenience. You can remove the passenger seat from a hatchback, to give sufficient space, but it is more difficult.

You need to transport the coffin to the mortuary, if the body is retained there. You have a common law right, as executor, to be given the body without the assistance of a funeral director. The principal mortuary for the Sunderland district is at the Sunderland Royal Hospital. You need to telephone and arrange a collection time. The staff usually place the body in the coffin and will advise over whether a post mortem has been completed. Sometimes. a small fee is payable for the assistance of the staff. This may be a "declared gratuity" and with the knowledge and agreement of the hospital authorities.

Once you have removed the body, or if the deceased died at home, you need to consider how to proceed. The body can be retained at home up to the time of the funeral. but you must have a cool room and no difficult stairs! You may need to consider your neighbours and only move the body when children or adults are not in the vicinity.

FACILITIES

The crematorium comprises of a central chapel, with a waiting room, ministers room and toilets including disabled toilet to one side. The chapel is laid out conventionally, the seating in rows along each side of the centre aisle. About 70 mourners can be seated, and a further 70 can stand. The lectern includes a microphone, with a "loop" system for the hard of hearing.

The chapel facilities are booked for 30 minutes, for your exclusive use. This allows 5 minutes access time, 20 minutes for the service and 5 minutes to leave the chapel. The use of the chapel is included in the cremation fee. The chapel is dedicated and not consecrated, allowing use for both religious or non religious services. You can play music, read poetry or use musicians provided it is not excessively noisy. We need to be notified of how you propose to organise your service. The use of the chapel is described in the next section.

THE FUNERAL

You can follow the coffin, as a procession, from the house to the crematorium, to arrive at the agreed time. Alternatively, you can simply meet at the chapel entrance, the coffin having been delivered earlier in the day.

When you arrive at the crematorium a member of staff will be on hand to help you. You can liase with them and get them to assist wherever possible. The Crematorium Supervisor has the authority to assist without recourse to higher authority.

You are not required to hold a service or any formality prior to the cremation, if that is your wish. If no service is requested, we still book a "service" time, but the coffin is taken directly through the chapel and onto the catafalque (or coffin resting place). It is then taken through for cremation. Coffins are not accepted through the "back" door.

If you wish to arrange a service, the following notes will give you a few ideas. You can arrange any minister or secular officiant to take the service for you. There is usually a fee payable If you have a service in a church or chapel (fee payable) before you reach the crematorium, then the crematorium service is called a "committal". The minister then leaves only a very short (5 minutes!) committal service at the crematorium chapel. Otherwise, we refer to a "full" service, which includes prayers and a reading, which will usually take about 20 minutes, with one or two hymns.

Some ministers will take a secular service for you, if you have no religious belief but do not wish to use a secular officiant. Some ministers will also take a part secular, part religious ceremony if those attending are of various beliefs. You can devise your own service and deliver this yourself or through a family member or friend. In some cases, the service has been composed by the deceased person. Families who have taken their own service or used a service composed by the deceased, have found it a very moving and emotional experience. It makes the service personal and might be preferred to the rather cold, unemotional and routine service which many people experience. Poetry or prose can be read or a tape/record or C.D. played in the chapel. Whatever arrangements you make, if you arrange a minister it is courteous to ensure that he or she is happy with your plans. You can of course, have the "religious" service first and follow this with a few minutes doing your own ceremony. Playing heavy rock music or something personal might fit this section of the service.

The service usually begins with the coffin being placed on a wheeled bier, which we provide, near the entrance doors. You need to provide bearers, or arrange them with us. to wheel the coffin into the chapel and place it on the catafalque. The bearers, if family, can then sit with the mourners. The minister leads the coffin into the chapel, with the mourners following. The Scottish custom is for the mourners to enter the chapel first, with the minister and coffin entering afterwards, with the mourners standing. You can decide how you wish to proceed.

THE COMMITTAL

The coffin rests on the catafalque during the service. and the committal ceremony is usually towards the end of the service. This is done by pressing a button on the lectern, which draws curtains across to screen the coffin, which remains stationary. This part of the service was introduced to symbolise the lowering of the coffin into a grave. Many people find this part of the service highly emotional, and sometimes very upsetting. It is important to note that a committal is not an essential requirement. At a number of services, although the committal prayer may be read, the curtains are not drawn. The mourners can then leave the chapel with the coffin clearly in view. Our staff will then draw the curtains and take the coffin through for cremation.

Our staff carry out the committal for you in any way you wish.

MUSIC

An organ is provided in the chapel but you must provide your own organist. The organist can play music on entry and retiral, and for hymns. A list of available hymns which are printed in our service book can be obtained from our offices. If you wish to sing, you will need to provide leaflets for items not printed in our service book.

Some people find an organ too "churchlike", or prefer music favoured by the deceased or themselves. If you wish, our staff can play your music on our C.D. or tape deck.

SERVICE BOOKS

We provide a joint service book ( 65 copies) which contains four sections. These are liturgical Modern and Traditional Church of England, and Catholic. You can provide your own books or printed leaflets, if you prefer.

PREVIEW

You are advised to inspect the chapel prior to any service you wish to arrange. Staff are available to advise and help you make the best use of our facilities. Please telephone first to arrange your visit when funerals are not taking place.

CREMATION PROCEDURE

We operate the crematorium in accordance with the Guiding Principles developed through the Charter for the Bereaved. Copies of the Guiding Principles are available upon request from our offices. Useful information is also provided in a free leaflet called "Questions People Ask About Cremation", also available from our offices. Each cremation is normally completed the same day as the service takes place, although the cremation may be delayed until the following morning for environmental reasons.

You can inspect the cremation equipment and. if you wish, witness the placing of the coffin in the cremator. The cremation takes about one hour, thirty minutes. The Cremated Remains are normally available the following day, but in exceptional circumstances it may be possible to collect the cremated remains the same day provided that the service took place early in the morning

We can provide various containers, according to the final placement of the cremated remains. If you intend burying them at a cemetery (not in Sunderland) or a churchyard, you will need a Certificate of Cremation, which we issue free of charge. This will also be necessary if you place them at another crematorium. The cremated remains will weigh up to 6 pounds and are in a granular texture.

FINAL PLACEMENT OF THE CREMATED REMAINS

Please note that we are required to obtain the signature of the applicant or their representative before cremated remains can be removed from the crematorium.

REMOVAL

You can take the cremated remains to other cemeteries, crematoria or churchyards, providing facilities are available. To keep the family "together", you can often place them in old graves. Favourite walks, beauty spots and wild country are often favoured. If you place them in public access areas, please brush them into the ground and do not leave them visible. The cremated remains will be in a fine granular form and can easily be brushed into grass or undergrowth. The remains do not pollute and can safely be placed in sea or fresh water. Please avoid places where drinking water is drawn. You can retain them at home, although children or other family members may find this difficult to accept. Consider carefully about placing them in your garden, as you may have to leave the house in the future.

RETAINED IN OUR FACILITIES

The cremation fee includes placing the cremated remains in our Garden of Remembrance at no extra charge. We retain the cremated remains for two weeks, prior to placing them, to allow a change of mind. This is because they cannot be removed once placed in the gardens. The cremated remains will remain buried beneath the turf for all time. The exact position of the burial is not recorded and we cannot show you a particular location.

You can have the cremated remains strewn on the surface of the Garden if you wish.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

CEMETERIES

We have small cremated remains graves, upon which a memorial can be placed, in the cemetery adjacent to the crematorium .

You can often use existing old graves, in cemeteries or churchyards, for the burial of cremated remains.

MISCELLANEOUS

Flowers - you can provide your own funeral flowers, including dried or garden flowers, without using a commercial florist.

Obituaries - if you require these in local newspapers you can do this yourself or through your funeral director. Due to hoax calls, they may not accept your order by telephone. If you call at their offices, you should take some evidence of the death to prove you are genuine.

Fees - a table of fees is available upon request. Fees increase each year on the 1st January. The cremation fee covers chapel use, organ or music system, cremation and placing of the remains in the garden of remembrance.

All fees are due before the funeral takes place, payable to the Sunderland City Council.

MEMORIAL FACILITIES

We have a selection of crematorium memorials

Information leaflets on these options are posted to the applicant 2 to 4 weeks after the date of the funeral.

IMPROVING OUR SERVICE

Bereavement is a very personal experience and, as I am sure you realise, we may be unable to satisfy all needs. What may seem like very small irritations, can become very upsetting if they arise during the funeral. If you feel that the service we provide could be improved please let us know. Your comments will be taken seriously and kept confidential.

CONCLUSION

For those who wish to consider the subject of funerals and dying, the Natural Death Centre offer a range of services. They are located at 20, Heber Road, London NW2 6AA. Tel No O 181 208 2853. They issue a handbook which explains the difficulties of obtaining coffins and organising funerals in a new and innovative way, as well as much other detail. Request a leaflet on the Natural Death Centre if you require more details.

Many other publications are also available. often through the Natural Death Centre. The paperback "The Dead Good Funerals Book" was launched in Carlisle cemetery in July 1996. This was produced by Welfare State International, an arts group based in Ulverston. Cumbria. It offers many innovative and sensitive ideas about arranging funerals and ceremonies, and may be available at your local library.

CHARTER FOR THE BEREAVED

We provide our service and offer the 33 rights specified in this Charter. This was launched on the 2nd September 1996 and copies of this are free of charge. The 80 page Reference copy is also available upon payment of a refundable deposit, and offers extensive and factual information about all aspects of funerals. There are free Charter leaflets available called "Information on using a funeral director" and "Information on Embalming".

* The above is intended to offer guidance and no responsibility can be accepted for the fact that these details cannot be correct in every case.

Independent burial